The Weight of Us
by Honeeym
Summary: Damon/Caroline/Klaus - Caroline's head is continually spinning as she gets lost in temptation.  Mistakes and sacrifices will be made before she discovers that she actually loves them both. AU.  INTERRUPTED. SEE LAST UPDATE.
1. All Broken Hearts

**_Title: The Weight of Us_**

**_Pairings: Damon/Caroline, as well as Klaus/Caroline._**

**_A/N : The fiction starts during 3x15 "All My Children", but won't follow the canon. _**

**_Disclamer : I own nothing but the plot. _**

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><p><em>1. All Broken Hearts<em>

They say everything happens for a reason.

Well, standing in the doorway of Bonnie's bedroom while her friend anxiously waits for her (temporarily) dead mother to wake up, Caroline sure wonders what's the reason behind all this. What's the bigger picture? What is it that allows fate, destiny or whatever you call it, to reiterate this dreadful set of circumstances where a desperate daughter has to wait for someone she loves to make the crucial decision to live or die after being forcibly turned into a vampire?

There can't be a _valuable _reason. Shit happens to good people, period. Especially in Mystic Falls.

Silence is heavy in the small room, and Caroline wonders what words she would have wanted to hear when she was the desperate daughter. The more she thinks about it, the more she realizes that words are meaningless in a situation like this. Whether Abby decides to become a vampire or die, Bonnie's life, her hopes and dreams as to her relationship with her mother, all of that will be ruined for good. There are no words to heal this pain. So she silently stays here, making it known that whatever Bonnie needs, she'll provide.

It's the sound of the doorbell that pulls Caroline out of her brooding thoughts. Bonnie jumps, throwing a panicked glance in her direction. Whoever it is, she can't deal with visits right now. Today has certainly been one of the most challenging days of her life, but she has had so many of those that she's just exhausted. She heaves a deep sigh, and Caroline smiles softly, squeezing her hand.

"It's just Elena," she whispers to Bonnie reassuringly. "I'll get it."

Caroline has been Bonnie's friend for as long as she can remember, and she knows how to decode the shadow in those green eyes. She decides that right now isn't the right time for her friend to lash out her anger at Elena – because yes, Bonnie is angry, furious even. She can feel the violence of her wrath coming off of her in waves.

"I'll be right back, Bon'," she promises.

Bonnie hesitates for a second, holding on stronger to Caroline's hand, as if to stay _Ignore her_. Caroline isn't entirely comfortable with just leaving Elena on the doorstep. So she gets the door, and she's relieved to notice that Elena doesn't have any visible bruises or scars; who knows what Rebekah could have done to her. As the brunette takes a step forward to enter, Caroline doesn't budge.

"She doesn't wanna see you," Caroline says softly; she doesn't like being the messenger but someone, for once, has to take Bonnie's side. _Not that there are sides. Okay, maybe a little._

"Please just let me talk to her," Elena requests, keeping her voice down.

"Abby's in transition," Caroline explains patiently. "It's gonna be really hard over the next few days, and if Bonnie needs some time to deal, then I think you should give it to her."

She tries to keep her voice soft but assured and authoritarian, because Elena needs to understand.

"She's always been there for me, Caroline," the brunette argues, folding her arms across her chest defensively. "Please let me be there for her, too."

Caroline heaves a sigh. She understands that Elena feels shut out, and she understands that she's standing on the right side of the doorstep, so it's easy for her to talk, but she won't put Elena's needs first. Not this time.

"I'm sorry," she says, slowly shaking her head. "I know that you wanna help, but put yourself in her shoes. Everything that happened tonight was to save _you_."

Elena's eyes dart towards Caroline in a mix of shock and realization. _Well done, Care._

"And that's okay because she loves you," the blonde adds hurriedly. "So much."

The doppelganger isn't quite listening anymore, because, _everything that happened tonight was to save her_. Caroline knows that what she's about to say is unfair, but she also knows that Bonnie isn't missing a word of this conversation, and so she makes a decision to say something she won't be able to take back. She makes a choice. She takes sides.

"But somehow she's always the one who gets hurt," Caroline says.

Caroline sees in Elena's eyes that her friend is putting two and two together. If Abby left town, it's because putting Mikael to sleep wrecked her magic; and why did Mikael come to town? Because the new Petrova doppelganger was born. It's no excuse for Abby not coming back, but still. If Sheila died, it's because Elena asked Bonnie and her Grams to open the tomb for Damon; because Elena decided to go inside and get Damon when he didn't come out. Then there was Luka, the only friend she had who could fully grasp who she was; and Jeremy, who was forcibly taken away. Not to mention that Klaus put her on his Hit List that night at school when she had to fake her own death.

Of course, it's not true that Bonnie is _always the one who gets hurt_ – Elena has lost so much in this battle – but tonight, it surely feels like it, as Elena still has two Salvatores to run back to and the young witch is waiting for her mother to come back from the dead.

"I know. You're right. I – I just," Elena says, averting her gaze for a second, trying to hold back the tears. "Just tell her that I love her, okay?"

"Of course, I will," Caroline promises with a small smile.

As a single tear rolls down her face, Elena turns away and leaves. Caroline watches as she gets into her car and speeds away, waiting until she can't hear the engine anymore before closing the door. She hates herself for breaking Elena's heart like this, but this was the only way to make her see the reality of things.

She turns around slowly to find Bonnie leaning against the wall, tears falling uncontrollably from her eyes.

"Thank you," the dark-skinned teenager chokes out.

Caroline simply nods with a sad smile and gives Bonnie a long hug, infusing as much warmth in it as she can, although all warmth has deserted her body from the second her human heart stopped beating.

Bonnie allows herself to falter for a moment, closing her eyes tightly and almost clutching to her friend. She appreciates that Caroline is trying to stand as a shield between her and the rest of the world. She takes a step back and quickly wipes away her tears.

Her eyes automatically travel to Abby – rather Abby's _body_ – on her bed. Caroline's gaze follows hers, but finds something else to stare at immediately. That's when Bonnie understands. She takes Caroline's hand and manages a smile.

"Thank you for being here," she says softly. "But you can't stay. It's too soon."

Caroline doesn't answer right away. The right thing to do _is_ to stay, but her wounds regarding the transition of a parent are still bleeding. Seeing Abby lying on that bed causes glimpses of her father to invade her head, in the most unpleasant of ways. She fights hard to push them away, because this isn't the time and place for her to break down.

"I'm sorry," she breathes. "So sorry."

The truth is bitter pill to swallow for Caroline, but her friend is right. She can't be here, even if that makes her the worst friend in the world. She's grateful for Bonnie's empathy and sympathy, even in a moment like this.

"I'll call you the minute she opens her eyes," Bonnie whispers. "Promise."

* * *

><p>The night is still young when Caroline gets into her car. She's still trying to shake off the overwhelming guilt that's crushing her. Of course, it's easier to breathe now that she's out of the house, but what does it say about her that she leaves her best friend alone to deal with this, especially when she knows how hard it is? Bonnie needs her support.<p>

She's considering getting over herself and going back for about the hundredth time when she drives past Elena's house. All the lights are off, except that in the brunette's bedroom. Elena's sitting at the window, scribbling in her diary feverishly. Caroline briefly wonders if she'll appear in tonight's entry under a few nasty names, but then she remembers someone much more "diary material".

_Damon, the vampire gigolo. _The one to whom Elena said his love was a "problem" because he had tried to protect her. (Yes, she heard that. Maybe, just maybe, that's why she so ridiculously interrupted their conversation at the Mikaelson ball.) The one who slept with the first girl he saw just to heal his broken heart. The one who has once again done something that will drive him apart from the girl he so desperately loves.

She immediately makes a U-turn.

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><p>When she gets to the boarding house, she makes her way in, not bothering to knock. She bumps into Stefan in the hallway. She eyes him curiously; the "Hey I'm a ripper d-bag" attitude is gone, swiftly replaced by the more usual "serious vampire look". For a moment, she almost believes that the man scrutinizing her is the one who used to be her friend – the one whose help she could use right now.<p>

Caroline's illusion vanishes all too soon as he waits for her to break the silence, folding his arms across his chest, almost defensively. The Stefan she knew would have opened his arms to her to break down into; but that Stefan's been long gone.

He has been back in town for weeks and he still hasn't spoken an entire sentence to her. She snorts and decides that he's done such a good job at ignoring her that she owes him to return the favour.

"Damon," she calls loudly, although he is just a few feet away. "I need to talk to you."

Stefan nods his head with a bitter smile and leaves the room. _At least, he knows how to take a hint_.

As for Damon, he is seemingly lost deep in thought; ever since she's come in, he hasn't blinked. His face is unreadable, although she can see only his profile; he is staring into the empty fireplace, probably cursing his brother for not holding her back from talking to him.

She leans into the doorway for a while, observing him and trying to find the right words to say. She's here to take sides – again. It probably doesn't matter at all to him (because _she_ probably doesn't matter at all to him), but she's coming to promise that she'll stand by his side when Bonnie and Elena give him Hell for a while. Among other things.

"To what do I owe the pleasure, Blondie?" he finally says; his voice is dry like sandpaper.

She blinks rapidly, trying to decide where she should start first. All of her fragile strength is gone the moment he turns around and lays eyes on her. He looks exhausted; just as broken as Bonnie is, and even sadder than Elena. The image strikes her; until now, she had this static image in her head of an unshakeable Damon Salvatore. He was the incarnation of "calm in crisis" until that flicker of _something_ in his eyes. Something that breaks her heart and reveals to herself the true reason of her presence.

"I came to – to apologize to you," she stammers.

Damon frowns. He honestly would like to be left alone after the hectic twenty-four hours he's had, but he's curious. Besides, listening to Blondie's jeremiads is probably better than wallowing in self-pity. He gestures for her to sit, but she remains standing. He refuses to fill the silence; it would be making her feel better and he's done enough of that for one day. So, as hard as it is, he doesn't speak and waits until she sees fit to explain herself.

"You trusted me to distract him –," she starts.

He tears his gaze away from the ashes in the fireplace and eyes her incredulously as her words finally sink in. She's apologizing because when she had Klaus in the palm of her hand, she couldn't bring herself to do more than tolerate his presence.

Unbelievable.

She probably feels that, had she been a little more endearing, they would have had time to get Kol out of the Grill safely, which means he wouldn't have needed to turn Abby then, because both Elijah and Rebekah would have been dead.

"One more minute and you were gone," she says, confirming his suspicions. "Elena would have been safe and none of this would have happened."

_Un-fucking-believable. _

Damon internally rolls his eyes – this is such a _Blondie_ thing to feel. His tolerance to her drama has built up, but tonight, it's different. It's not exactly Caroline Forbes' primary quality to offer apologies, especially not to him. He would admire the skilful way in which she is taking the blame for Abby's fate off his shoulders if she didn't look so utterly broken. His eyes imperceptibly soften.

She is an annoying little thing, but there's something about this girl that makes him want to protect her, always. He is usually very good at burying the urge, but it seems like he is a do-gooder today. He gets to his feet and walks up to her; after a millisecond's hesitation, he gently grabs her upper arms. Caroline slowly looks up to him.

"Even if you had distracted him longer," he says, "the son of a bitch can't be killed. We just made a bad calculation."

By _we_, he actually means _I._ Vocalizing it now, it seems completely reckless that he has used her as bait for the big bad wolf. One more thing he mentally adds to the "long list of things I should never have done in the last twenty-four hours". One more, one less – the count matters little, now. Especially since she's alive and well.

Caroline nods her head almost obediently. Clearly she doesn't care about what he has just said. It annoys him, truly, that she has found some reason to blame this whole fiasco on herself. What's the point of him being the bad guy if people are still going to feel terrible about things instead of just blaming him? His hold on her upper arms gets a little rougher.

"I'm sorry," she says. "Sorry."

"Don't be ridiculous, Blondie," he says dismissively. "It would have taken Klaus two _seconds_ to figure things out, and two more seconds to rip your head off."

Speaking of, both of them are quite surprised, to say the least, that Klaus has let her walk away from this. For now. You never know with this one. Caroline pushes thoughts of Klaus to the back of her mind.

"I also came to say thank you," she whispers in a soft voice; softer than it's ever been while addressing him.

"What for?" he asks a little too eagerly.

Caroline feels like a monster for what she's about to say, but she couldn't have sat on the edge of a bed again, waiting for someone she loves to tell her they'd rather die than became a vampire.

"For choosing Abby," she breathes. "Bonnie wouldn't want to be like us."

Tears start to form in the corner of her eyes and she doesn't even try to conceal them. It's always been obvious that Damon doesn't care about her drama, so she's disconcerted when he doesn't let go of her, but rather, awkwardly runs his hand up and down her back, unsure of how she'll react to the gesture. She looks up to him expectantly.

"I'm sorry about Bill," he finally says.

She wonders what her father has to do with anything when an image of his lifeless body pops into her head. She sinks her teeth into her lower lip and swallows the lump in her throat.

"You tried to kill him," she points out.

She isn't being deliberately snarky; she's just not in her right mind at the moment, and it doesn't make sense that Damon should feel sorry for her loss when he was so happily chewing on her dad not so long ago. Damon takes her hands into his own; the uncharacteristic gesture sends a surge of electricity through her body.

"Only because he was a jackass to you."

She almost wants to ask him if he's planning on killing everyone who'll ever be a jackass to her; the thought makes her want to smile. And just like that, the wave of pain is gone. She exhales deeply, her eyes fixed on Damon's hands that are still holding hers.

"Thank you," she says softly.

He finds himself wanting to promise her that he'll find who did this to Bill – to _her – _and make them pay. During the few seconds when he holds her hands, something strange happens. She feels close to him, and that's an entirely new emotion. She has been attracted to Damon; pissed at him and afraid of him, but never before has she felt the need to hold him in her arms and feel his arms around her, simply for comfort.

"There's something else I want to tell you," she says before the moment is gone. "Bonnie will come around. You've been here for her when Abby was nowhere to be found."

A veil appears in front of his eyes. His emotional walls are back up again. The moment is gone.

"Don't hold your breath, Barbie."

Damon takes a step back and shrugs.

"Somebody needs to make the tough decisions, and I," he boasts," happen to be quite excellent at it."

She snorts; he is being _so_ insincere about this. Like she doesn't see what it does to him, knowing that Bonnie will hate him. That _Elena_ will hate him. If she thought it was a "problem" that he loved her at the ball, what will she say _now_?

"Why don't you let _'the Rippah'_ handle that? He's doing better at being a jackass than you."

"He's doing better at pretending, that's all."

She doesn't allow herself to question his loyalty towards his brother. Although she does consider Elena and Bonnie as sisters, she doesn't have the privilege to know what it feels like to have a sibling, and so, she doesn't let herself make assumptions about how it must feel to watch your little brother ruin his life just because he couldn't let you die. She wonders for a moment, as to why Damon decided to turn Abby, instead of Stefan, who, let's be honest, was the designated executor of the task. Why ruin the peaceful relationship it had taken so long to build between he and Bonnie? Why spare his brother the wrath of the witch?

She laughs humourlessly when the answer appears to her in the form of big brown eyes.

"Does this have anything to do with Elena?" she suddenly asks.

Damon imperceptibly winces and, as usual, goes find comfort in alcohol.

"I certainly don't see how," he counters, shamelessly lying to her face – at least trying (and failing). "I've already said that once today, but I also do things just because I decide to."

He knows he doesn't fool her. He doesn't really mind.

"You knew she wasn't going to forgive this," Caroline says, putting two and two together. "You decided to do it just so she wouldn't hate Stefan. You've – you've willingly ruined every chance you had with her!"

She can't believe what she's just said, but more, she can't believe the look on his face that clearly says: _busted. _It takes him a few seconds to regain composure and smirk at her.

"Haven't you heard?" he says nonchalantly. "I'm into blondes, now."

"Oh, I've heard," she says with a smile. "But we both know that you resort to blondes only for distraction, and we both know it just doesn't work for you."

"I like you better when you're caught up in your boy drama," he remarks.

She laughs softly and decides it's time to go. She's said her piece, and there's nothing more she can do for him. The way he is going to deal with Bonnie is his business. His sabotaged what-ifs with Elena are his business, too. The fact that he's willing to isolate himself from the rest of the group to allow his brother to find his place again is _his_ business as well.

_Her _business was to make sure that he knew he wasn't alone. Just like a friend would. She pauses for a second, trying to determine whether she and Damon are friends. Two hours ago, she would have laughed at the idea, but – after all, why not? He could use a friend, and she just happens to be the most caring person he knows who is still talking to him. So, why the Hell not? She makes a mental note to start treating him like a friend, and immediately implements her new rules. She gives him a goodbye hug that makes his entire body stiffen and walks out before he has time to protest.

As she walks out of the room, she wonders when the flying fuck did Damon Salvatore become a hero? She wonders what has become of the first-rate bastard who abused her back in the day. And then, just as she's about to ignite her car, realization paralyzes her, causing her to gasp in horror.

What she's done to Klaus tonight is _exactly _what Damon did to her. She used his crush on her as a means to an end.

With that in mind, she accepts that she isn't any better than Damon and somehow, that she's even worse than the hybrid himself. He has most certainly bribed, threatened, blackmailed, tortured and killed, but he has never sunk that low. On the other hand, she has willingly played someone for a fool tonight; she had broken his heart. The fact that he is Klaus, and that she doubted that he even had a heart until very recently, doesn't matter.

Everything happens for a reason, or so they say. And because she's Caroline Forbes and she fucking cares about _everyone_, she finds herself knocking on the door of the ridiculously luxurious Mikaelson residence. There's someone else she owes an apology to.

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><p><strong>AN : Guess who's back with a multi-chapters? I hope you're excited about it, because I certainly am. I haven't decided yet whether this will be Daroline or Klaroline in the end, but fans of both ships will be satisfied with the way I have planned things, I promise ;) Please leave reviews to let me know what you like and don't like about this chapter. How's that for the start of a Damon/Caroline friendship, uh? Also, what do you think is going to happen when she talks to Klaus? - M.**


	2. Heal This Heartbreak

**2. Heal This Heartbreak**

Leaning against the fireplace, Klaus finds himself quite unbothered by Rebekah's shocking revelation about the white oak tree. He has spent a thousand years outmanoeuvring people who tried to kill him, what are a few more days? He has connections; he knows people. Although it is a surprise that none of his usual "friends" has heard about it, the stupid tree will be burnt to the ground the minute he decides to deal with it. However, for now, his mind is set on something else entirely.

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><p><em>Kol pointed a finger in someone's direction, probably a woman, a change in his attitude clearly perceptible. Klaus internally rolled his eyes; his younger brother had the nerve to call their sister a strumpet, but Kol was what nowadays teenagers would call a player, or for the least polite of them, a "manwhore". Kol's track record certainly outdid Damon Salvatore's. What he wanted, he took. Women were more than responsive to his wits and smouldering looks, and this one certainly wouldn't be exception to the rule. Even if she was, Kol could prove quite persistent, to say the least. A trait that happily ran in the family. He turned around to set his sight on the unfortunate victim.<em>

_Caroline._

"_I remember her from last night," Kol said appreciatively. "She looks like a tasty little thing."_

"_Say another word and I'll tear out your liver," Klaus said through his teeth._

_Perhaps his choice of words was slightly exaggerated, but he had little patience when it came to Kol's games. Being the spoilt child that he was, he was used to snapping his fingers and getting everything he wanted. If he was eyeing Caroline conspicuously, it was most certainly because he'd noticed Klaus' interest in the girl. Kol had always been one to think that it was funnier to play with others' toys. Not that Caroline was a toy. _

_If he let his possessiveness get the best of him, Caroline was going to walk past him; he couldn't allow it. Klaus took a deep breath and straightened his posture._

"_Caroline," he called enthusiastically._

_He internally thanked the Gods when she stopped in front of him. _

"_Oh," she said, folding her arms across her chest. "It's you."_

_He almost smiled at the forced contempt in her voice. He liked this game of cat and mouse, especially the part where she pretended to be impervious to his charms._

"_Join us for a drink," he offered._

_That was actually meant to sound like a command, but he remembered what she said about him imposing things to people, and so, it came out a lot less assured than it was intended to. His heart was pounding in his chest. _

_He recalled that his brother was here to witness the whole scene when Caroline glanced at him; he raised his glass to her enticingly, but she quickly focused her attention back to Klaus. She cocked her head, and for a millisecond, he actually thought against his better judgement that she'd sit with them._

"_Hmmm. I'd rather die of thirst. But thanks," she said and turned around to leave._

_He couldn't help laughing. She was simply putting too much effort into it._

"_Isn't she stunning?" he asked rhetorically to his younger brother._

"_She certainly looks good walking away from you," Kol pointed out. _

_Deciding to ignore the possible – quite certain – reference to Caroline's, well, bottom, Klaus smirked at his brother and set to go after her._

"_I'll take that as a challenge," he said._

_Alcohol was making his blood boil, and, as he walked out of the Grill, he was almost run into by a car. He raised his hands apologetically to the driver, focusing solely on Caroline. He hated when she walked away from him. He needed to find a way to make her stop._

"_Caroline," he called, much satisfied when she turned around, her blonde curls bouncing over her shoulder._

"_Are you serious? Take a hint."_

"_Don't be angry, love," he purred. "We had a little spat. I'm over it already."_

"_Oh, well, I'm not," she drawled._

_She said that in a way that he knew was meant to purposefully torture him. She didn't care about the fight they had, she simply enjoyed being chased. He heard the smile in her voice, and decided to give her what she wanted, in hopes that she might consider returning the favour._

"_How can I acquit myself?" he asked._

_That was one of his oldest tricks – he was readily submitting to her will and giving her the illusion that she was in control. She let out a sight and turned around. He struggled to suppress a smile. _

"_You, and your expensive jewellery and your romantic drawings can leave me alone," she said firmly._

"_Oh, come on," he said quite childishly. "Take a chance, Caroline."_

Take a chance on me_, he thought. _Give me a little time, a little love, something. Anything.

_She huffed. He took advantage of her hesitation and sat on the closest bench, his face expectantly upturned._

"_Talk to me. Come on, get to know me!" he urged._

_Her brow rose, visibly surprised by the pleading tone of his voice. He was aware of it, and couldn't help assuming his usual posture of seduction. _

"_I dare you," he whispered._

_She paused, and he could almost see the wheels rolling in her head. They exchanged a look, and he knew he had won._

"_Fine," she said, a little exasperated. _

_She sat next to him. His eyes fixed on her face were making her uncomfortable, but he refused to stop. He was committing the moment to memory, and he would draw it as soon as he got home. The day she took a chance on him, her hair perfectly curled, that black coat hugging her body, and the adorable look of embarrassment over her face. _

"_So – what do you wanna talk about?" she asked._

_The answer came as a no-brainer. Her uncanny ability to be honest in every situation was one of the things he enjoyed most about her; he hoped the reverse would be true. Besides, he didn't have any time to lose._

"_I wanna talk about you," he said bluntly._

_She huffed again. _

_She'd told him he didn't connect with people because he didn't even try to understand them. Well, he wanted nothing more than to grasp her fully; to understand the complex entanglement of realities that was Caroline Forbes._

"_Your hopes, your – your dreams," he explained. "Everything you want in life."_

Tell me, and I'll give it all to you.

_She laughed, shaking her head. Of course she wasn't used to men being so straightforward with her; she dated high school students, for God's sake._

"_Just to be clear," she said. "I'm too smart to be seduced by you."_

"_Well, that's why I like you," he said just as honestly._

_She was about to start speaking when he felt something strange. A pang, something sharp and cold, as if a blade had gone through his chest. He gasped, bringing a hand to his heart._

"_What is it?" she said; her voice had lost its sparkle, it was tense._

_That's when he understood. She had given in way too easily. He should have known better._

"_What did you do?" he said._

"_Nothing," she lied._

"_What. did. you. do?" he growled, grabbing her arms roughly._

"_I didn't do anything," she hissed. "Stop it!"_

_He looked back to the bar, breathed his brother's name and left._

* * *

><p>With his family back and Mikael out of the picture, it was the ideal set of circumstances to start wanting more. Immortality was his; and there was only one thing that could make eternity worth living. <em>Love<em>. An emotion that he had relegated to the back of his mind soon after his transformation, for he had more urgent matters to attend to; matters that had taken almost a millennia to be solved.

With Caroline came a glimpse of what his life could be if he was lucky enough to have a woman like her by his side. All baby vampire that she was, she possessed virtually everything he enjoyed in a woman: strength, light, sense of humour, determination, honesty, and, of course, breath-taking beauty.

He hadn't been involved in something quite like this for centuries and he had rediscovered just how pleasant it could be to chase someone with no design to kill them. He was ready to play hide and seek with this blonde beauty as long as necessary – better yet, he was enjoying the game.

He has always said that love is a vampire's greatest weakness. She has once again proved his point, reuniting him with his most faithful companion: betrayal.

Klaus pauses in his thinking, picking up the sound of a car pulling over outside of the mansion. He identifies her the minute she gets out of her car. She enters the almost empty house, her breath heavy and unsteady. She is a smart girl; smart enough to be afraid, but not enough to stay away. Her very presence here is contrary to everything she has ever learnt and he is very curious as to what exactly she wants.

Doesn't she fear his wrath?

Elijah, visibly just as curious about Caroline's quiet intrusion, materializes in front of the hesitating girl. After a silent exchange, his brother leads her to his study. They both stop before crossing the threshold.

"Niklaus," Elijah calls softly. "A visitor."

Caroline clears her throat, and Elijah, ever so polite, sees fit to leave them alone, although there is no such thing as privacy in a house where two other Original vampires live (for now). Caroline inhales deeply and makes her way towards him, eyeing the many drawings that are spread onto the table. She doesn't say a word about the fact that she is the inspiration for many of them.

He doesn't budge, careful to make quite a show of tearing the pages out of his sketchbook and letting them burn. _This is what I do of you, dear visitor_. He watches from the corner of his eye as she nods her head sadly, accepting the sentence.

"Elena is my family," she says. "You do what you have to do to protect your family."

Klaus is silent. He, more than anyone, can understand where she's coming from. Everything he has done for the past thousand years has been to protect his own. Breaking the hybrid curse was the only way to stand up to Mikael, and killing his adoptive father was the only way to resume a peaceful live with his siblings. Nobody can teach him the importance of family, and certainly not an only child.

"You have no right to be mad at me," she pursues. "Given your own track record."

If he'd been in his right mind, he would have questioned her about why exactly his anger upset her. But is not in his right mind, and he is way too downhearted to notice.

_There it is_, he thinks, _the reason why this was a folly to begin with. _All the harm he has ever done will forever stand as a barrier between them. Between him and anyone. So, in the end, he has not only hurt others, but himself. That harm, it's blowing up right in his face – because he knows, he just _knows_ that otherwise, she wouldn't be thinking twice. A thousand years of observing the games of seduction and learning to decode women has given him at least that: he sees that twinkle in her eyes when he speaks to her in a certain way, and he also sees the lurch of recognition that makes her remember who's addressing her.

"I saved your life," he simply says after a while, throwing another drawing in the fire. "I'd expect that to count for something."

He watches the piece of paper blacken and crumple.

"I am here," she counters. "They would _kill_ me if they knew, but I am here."

He finally meets her gaze and freezes. Her face bears the marks of guilt, and once again, he is forced to admit that she has a way of surprising him. Although he couldn't tell earlier when she was being dishonest, he can tell that she is absolutely genuine right now.

Her light has somewhat diminished to a mere flicker, and he marvels at the thought of having inflicted pain on him eating her up like this. It must mean everything isn't lost for them, right?

His face stiffens out of anger – directed at himself. It's a knock to his pride, really, that he has not yet ripped her heart out. He has severely punished others for much less. How come he is going to let her get away with it? There is something about this girl, something dangerously tempting. In more ways than just one, she is the siren to his Ulysses. He decides that he _wants _to be too smart to be seduced by her.

"Feel free to leave," he says, his mouth set in a straight line. "I wouldn't want to be the cause of trouble between you and your _family."_

Instead, she leans against the table and fixes her gaze upon him. He refuses to falter and goes back to burning the drawings. When she grabs an unfinished close-up portrait and hands it to him, he accepts it.

"What I did to you was a low blow," she starts, knowing very well that he's going to stay silent. "It was … cruel and totally uncalled for. I'm not the girl who plays men like toys. I used to be, but not anymore. I didn't like doing it, and if I'd had a choice, I wouldn't have. I'm really, _really _sorry that I hurt your feelings."

She exhales deeply, visibly relieved that she's found the words. He snorts, shakes his head at her, stops burning drawings and paces around the room all the while muttering to himself.

"You're sorry that you _hurt my feelings_," he grumbles, tasting the bitter ridiculousness of these words on his tongue. "My _feelings_."

He shouldn't have feelings in the first place. He shouldn't have set his sights on her, and he shouldn't have saved her life the night of her birthday. He shouldn't have offered her diamonds and he shouldn't have invited her to the ball. He shouldn't have danced with her, or talked to her, or smiled at her, or shown her his passion for art. He shouldn't have fallen for her act earlier tonight, and he shouldn't be so distressed by the apology of this – this _infant_. He shouldn't be allowing her to be alive when she's just stabbed him in the back.

She causes nothing but regret. Just like Finn, just like Stefan. Just like all the others. _The Hell with them._

After two more minutes, Caroline obviously decides that she's had enough of him ignoring her so she invades his private space, in a way very similar to his usual techniques, hands on her hips, head held high. The tough act doesn't suit her, but he secretly appreciates that she's trying. How brave – and foolish – of her to test his limits.

His jaw clenches as he takes in her glistening eyes, the only visible proof of her internal turmoil. He folds his arms across his chest, implicitly defying her. _What will you do now, Caroline?_

Well, she surprises him once again. Both her hands come to rest on his folded arms. He experiences one of his ridiculous mood swings; he is thankful for the additional barrier of cotton between their skins, because he already feels like he is on fire. Flashes of the dance they shared overwhelm him and he momentarily closes his eyes. She gives a little squeeze.

"How can I acquit myself?" she says tentatively.

He winces at her choice of words and grinds his teeth together to keep his mouth shut. _Love me._

"Say something," she says shyly. "Yell if you need to."

His face remains a hundred per cent expressionless as he takes a step back, jerking away from her. He won't yell. Yelling would be giving her too much importance. He returns to burning the drawings of her. She doesn't move.

"You have eased your guilty conscience," he eventually whispers. "I reckon you can see yourself out, now."

A moment passes before she speaks.

"Maybe I was right about you after all," she says warily. "Your interest in me must have been really superficial if the smallest incident has made it go away."

As she turns around to leave, he speeds in front of her, grabbing her arm roughly, almost as a reflex. His brain hasn't yet registered that it's okay to let her walk away. She looks up to him, her pretty blue eyes filled with a wetness that she's threatening to leak onto her cheeks. He hears the effort in her breathing and his fingers press harder into her arm, causing her to wince. He frowns, silently questioning her about the reason for those tears.

"Do you hate me?" she asks in such a childish voice that his eyes widen a little.

He lets go of her arm, but doesn't step back. Still standing so close to her that their bodies are brushing against each other, he lets out a humourless laugh. She's so full of light that she can't stand the idea of someone – _anyone_ – hating her.

"I do," he lies in a whisper.

A single tear rolls down her face, making his heart ache. He has always lived by the rules of "an eye for an eye"; and after a thousand years, it's too late to change his ways. He simply wants to hurt her as much as she hurt him. He can't make sense of the small smile that's creeping up her face. It upsets him.

"What's so funny?" he asks dryly.

"You care," she observes, her voice tense. "Good to know."

He doesn't appreciate being put on the spot.

"Your point?" he asks, losing patience.

Caroline observes him for a long while. Her eyes dive into his, as if trying to read behind his mask of anger and bitterness. He shivers unconsciously as she scrutinizes him, and he wonders whatever she is searching for. Seconds seem days and it's like she is looking right into his soul_. Stop it, _he yells with his eyes. She doesn't. If anything, she looks more intently, and for some reason, he can't find the strength to turn away.

The only person in the world who's ever made him feel so exposed is his mother. Anger makes his blood boil at the thought of _Esther_. He can stomach quite a lot, but a double betrayal in the matter of half an hour is quite a lot, even for the Hybrid himself. His lips curl in a disgusted rictus.

"You're all the same," he spits. "You, my mother. Deceit is a second nature in women."

She rolls her eyes in that _Caroline way _and he figures that she isn't going to put up with his crap anymore. She has assumed that mean girl posture again and he's relieved, because she isn't touching him or looking at him like she can read his mind or being beautiful. Besides, she's always honest when she's mean. Also, he's better at dealing with nastiness; he knows how to respond to it.

"You don't know me! I care about people," she says. "Too much for my own good. And I'm not a liar."

He snorts. She _is_ a liar. All she does is lie and _he wants her gone_, because all this talk is messing with his head and he's tired of her perfect curls and manicured fingers and intoxicating perfume.

"You did lie to me," he points out.

"Coming from the King of liars," she exclaims, clearly outraged.

That's something he is not quite ready to accept. He has many, many (many, many, many) flaws, but he doesn't lie. Ever. He takes pride in saying that he never breaks a promise, even when he's a little devious, like that time when he promised Elijah to reunite him with their family and then daggered him.

She has this annoying tendency to make assumptions; he can't let himself be annoyed right now, because, on top of everything that's happened tonight, it might just result in her heart flying across the room.

"Leave," he commands dryly. "Now."

"You know what?" she snaps. "I made a mistake, and I'm really sorry but there's nothing more I can tell you because there is nothing else to say, okay? So whenever you decide to get over your Mommy issues – "

His body reacts before he gets a chance to stop it; he grabs her by the shoulders, slams her hard against the wall, makes her hiss in pain. Dark veins under his eyes, four fangs out, mad eyes. He is a little moody – so what?

"Stop talking," he growls.

She doesn't falter; she isn't tense, she isn't scared. She huffs loudly.

"I'm _so_ going to regret this," she mumbles to herself.

He fights the urge to ask what she is going to regret. He lets her push him away and watches as she adjusts her coat and fixes her hair. She inhales deeply and looks him straight in the eye. He has a clear feeling that things are about to take an interesting turn, but his anger is still vaguely making his head buzz.

"One night," she says after a while. "I'll meet you at the bench in front of the Grill and we'll pick up where we left off."

He takes a step away from her, the way he would have done with a leper. _She is mocking you, you fool. _If she _is_ mocking him, he'll tear out her organs right then and there, never mind that the Persian rug will be ruined.

"I – I beg your pardon?" he chokes.

Is she actually implying that – they should – go on a _date_?

She shrugs, and her eyes shine with something very similar to victory. For a moment, he sees the sassy girl who makes his pulse rise, not the treacherous temptress.

"I agreed to get to know you, and I always finish what I start," she clarifies. "So we'll spend the evening together and then we'll both go our separate ways and then I'll patiently wait for Damon and Bonnie to find a way to kill you and your psycho family."

He stares at her very stupidly, and she has the nerve to laugh. The sound cascades onto him, envelopes him and gives him a pleasant impression of warmth. Everything that's happened tonight seems to vanish into nothingness as she throws her head back, the light catching her hair perfectly. She laughs, and she laughs some more, and she laughs until tears spring to her eyes and she has to hold on to her middle.

He shakes his head at her sudden madness, but he starts smiling. Maybe he has another one of his mood swings and everything is forgiven, just like that. Maybe he even chuckles a little.

She stops as quickly as she started and her brow knits.

"No one can know," she warns, catching her breath. "You say so much as a _word_ about this to _anyone_ and the deal is off, are we clear?"

She looks like she's surprised by her own words. He answers – and seals the deal – before she has time to change her mind. He isn't one to let such miraculous opportunities go to waste. He grabs her hand and shakes it in a very solemn manner.

"Crystal."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Hello everyone. I can't thank you enough for the many reviews I got with the first chapter. It's heartwarming. I've heard you, all of those who want Daroline to be endgame. It's a little too soon to worry about that, just yet. Please bear with me and enjoy the ride? **

****I'm planning to bring a twist to this fiction and try my limits. The future chapters will all have a different writing style, I'm warning you just so you don't get confused. If anyone wants to issue a challenge, a prompt or anything : shoot !****

**Surprise, Caroline has basically asked Klaus on a date and they now share yet another secret. Also, what did you think about Klaus? Is he close to the one you know and hate to love? ****Opinions, thoughts, criticism? I'll take it all, as reviews are my only reward. Much love - M.**


	3. A Fine Mess of Things

**3. A fine Mess of Things**

It's kind of funny, really, how life can flip 180° in a matter of days. Sometimes, it works in mysterious ways. One day, you wake up and find that Damon Salvatore is the closest thing you have to a confidante, because he doesn't demand, doesn't ask, doesn't require anything from you. He is just Damon, snarky as ever, a little self-centred, incredibly cocky, borderline rude, wearing his everlasting mask of carelessness when you just _know_ he wants nothing more than explode. Good old Damon.

_How good it is when things don't change._

"I want to disappear. Like, literally. I want to be invisible," Caroline growls as she downs the content of her glass and reaches for a refill.

He slaps her hand away.

"Enough for now," he says sternly.

She scowls at him, and he smirks. She wants to stake him when he is so patronizing. She tries a more seductive approach and gives him a flirtatious glance, while her fingers slowly move towards the bottle of Bourbon. Damon watches with a smirk, but still takes the bottle out of her reach.

She throws her hands in the air, all seduction gone and replaced by annoyance.

"The only thing I ask from you is that you get me drunk, and now you're taking that away? Might as well stake me right now," she complains.

"A: you should know better than ask _anything_ from me. B: I wanna get out of here, but you can't drive so I'll give you a ride, which leads me to C: if you ruin my car seats, I _will_ stake you."

She huffs loudly and follows him outside, knowing perfectly that he's running away from Bonnie's glare that's been burning a hole in his back for the last twenty minutes. Needless to say, they're still not talking.

* * *

><p>Caroline stumbles out of the car and makes her way into the house, straight to Damon's bedroom. They are so comfortable around each other now that he doesn't even notice. She'll slam the door open, glare at Stefan if he's here – because that girl is incredibly good at glaring – and speed up the stairs. He'll find her with her shoes off, stretched out on <em>his<em> damn side of the bed, flicking through the channels until she comes across one of those stupid chick flicks that she loves. Possibly with one of his best bottles of booze.

She comes over every day, because around him is the only place where Bonnie and Elena won't come find her. _My safety zone_, she calls him. He remembers a time when she couldn't get away from him fast enough, and it strikes him as highly ironic, really, that she uses him as a shield from her own friends, now. It also makes him feel a little shattered, but eh.

Not only is she the only person in Mystic Falls that he's still on speaking terms with, she is also the one who picks up the pieces, stiches them back together, and does it over and over again, every single day. She's the cement, the one that binds everyone together; except for Stefan. Says she can't forgive him. Which is strange because he's Damon and still, she's talking to him, and drinking with him, and relying on him, and laughing with him when he tries hard enough.

She surprises him, this spunky blonde. Except when it comes to occupying _his _damn side of the bed.

When he enters his bedroom, Caroline has made herself comfortable. However, this time, the TV is off and the booze is nowhere to be found. _Things must be really bad_. He braces himself, knowing she'll need to off-load onto him.

Damon sighs as he sits on the bed and roughly pushes her to the right side. _When is she going to understand? _ She puts up a fight, as she always does, but he effortlessly grabs her and throws her on the other end of the California King Bed. As he always does. She childishly sticks her tongue out at him. He rolls his eyes, kicks off his shoes, and sits back against the headboard.

It doesn't surprise him when she immediately nuzzles up into his chest, one of her legs lying in the middle of his. He wraps his arm around her shoulders.

"Okay, Blondie," he says. "Spill."

"Everybody is driving me _nuts_," Caroline moans as he rubs sympathetic circles on her back.

"The newbie's still giving you a hard time, uh?"

She snorts; that's an understatement.

"You know what? I am not _Stefan_," she spits, her chin pressed to his chest. "The old Stefan," she clarifies, "I have no patience, and I am nowhere near getting her cravings under control!"

Damon pauses. He doesn't like to discuss Abby, she knows that. And she knows he'd like to help, but the Salvatores haven't been invited inside Bonnie's house, and the young witch has no intention of changing that.

"Is Witchy still on vervain?" he asks casually. "You could compel her to let _the old Stefan_ in the house."

"Seriously? That's all you got?" she says. "And compelling Bonnie?"

She hits his arm.

"Bad idea."

"Fine, but stop moaning 'bout it," he snaps. "She just needs time."

"It's been two weeks already," she points out.

"Whatcha complaining 'bout? She still hasn't killed anybody, right? Those with a clean track record after two weeks of being a vampire, raise your hand! No? Yeah, I didn't think so."

He realizes he's said something wrong when she gets off of him and chokes _you're an ass, Damon. _Clearly, he is. Powerlessness is gnawing at him with the Abby situation, and he doesn't respond well to powerlessness, at all. He rushes to the door just when she does.

"Oh, come on. Don't be like this, Barbie," he says. "I just meant to say – she's doing better than most of us did."

He decides that this is an emergency and gives her the best puppy look he can muster without laughing. She lasts ten seconds, before rolling her eyes with a faint smile.

"You know, you're actually supposed to think _before_ you speak," she says accusingly. "And that's coming from _me._"

"Ouch," he says, clutching at his heart. "Now, can we just go back to bed?"

She folds her arms across her chest with a pout.

"Will you listen to me vent about Bonnie and Elena?"

He's heard all about it already: Bonnie doesn't sleep, because she's too busy browsing through a billion ancient spell books and agonizing over her vamp-mother, and Elena is drowning in her guilt regarding the whole Abby thing, as well as figuring out a way to get Stefan back, all the while trying to label her feelings towards _the bad brother_.

"Yes," he sighs. "I'll listen."

"And Tyler, too?"

She almost says _and Klaus too_ but luckily, she's able to stop herself in time. Klaus has apparently fallen off the face of the Earth over the last two weeks. That is quite a surprise – and a huge relief – since she has practically asked the man on a date. Whenever the thought crosses her mind, the words "_WHAT HAS GOTTEN INTO YOU, DUMBASS?" _materialize in front of her eyes.

As for Tyler, well, he's not exactly Damon's favourite subject. Caroline senses his hesitation, and stops before they reach the bed.

"Damon," she says. "If I can't talk to you, I – I don't know if – "

He heaves a sigh. She does that to him _all the time_; the sad eyes, the quivering voice. It always triggers this weird feeling in his stomach, and it doesn't go away unless he does or says something _nice_. He barely suppresses a groan of frustration.

"I'll listen," he promises. "Don't I always?"

She nods with a grateful smile – she never thought she'd be grateful to him for anything. When she sits on _his _damn side of the bed, he lets her. When she rests her head on his shoulder and bursts into tears, he holds her. She's a _terrible_ influence.

* * *

><p>After three weeks, you can't decently call <em>this<em> a one-time deal anymore. You need to face the fact that this – this _pattern_ is a friendship, that Damon Salvatore and Caroline Forbes are actually falling in the pattern of a friendship together, with no compulsion and no ulterior motive, and that they actually don't mind that much.

* * *

><p>Late at night, she wakes up in tears because she has these images of broken bones and glowing eyes and double fangs, and she thinks she hears screams of pain whenever the silence gets too is still nowhere to be found.<p>

Abby is still struggling with her urges. Elena is still not talking to either Salvatore. Bonnie is still obsessed with revenge.

"What else is new?" Damon snorts ironically.

Caroline sits on the couch of the boarding house next to him and hands him a glass of Bourbon.

"Well, your latest blonde distraction's back in town," she says casually. "I bumped into her and her brothers yesterday at the Grill."

Damon freezes instantly, his glass halfway to his lips.

"Brothers? Plural?"

_As if we didn't have enough problems._

"Just Elijah and Klaus," she clarifies.

Unless clearly challenged, Elijah has never been an actual threat, so Damon doesn't really care that he's back. However, he doesn't like the idea of Klaus around Caroline. A very invincible hybrid lurking in the dark, observing her every move, waiting for the right time to implement his latest scheme of revenge.

"Did he – say anything?"

She hesitates for half a second, as the memory of their secret meeting crosses her mind. Klaus shaking her hand with a wolfish grin. She clears her throat and shrugs, seemingly absorbed in the contemplation of her red-painted nails.

"Just a lot of creepy staring," she says (it's the truth. He's done nothing but stare intently at her with the hint of a smile, and it kinda freaked her out).

"You need to stay the Hell away from him, Blondie," Damon commands.

"Relax," she says. "If he wanted me dead, I'd be dead."

"The guy's kept his family in boxes for centuries," Damon points out. "He doesn't respond well to betrayal, so you stay. the Hell. away from him."

She partially turns her head to glance at him. For some reason, the uncharacteristically blunt protectiveness makes her smile; she doesn't tell him, but he looks adorable when he's pissed.

"Okay," she says softly.

"Okay, then."

She sinks back into the couch, still contemplating her nails, wondering how she's going to spend an entire night with the big bad wolf without her new friend finding out.

* * *

><p>"You," Bonnie spits to Damon, as he and Caroline are about to leave the Grill.<p>

The young witch looks emaciated, and her face is perceptibly paler. Quite frankly, he could have walked past her without recognizing her. Her hair is a mess, she has bags under her eyes and her hands are shaking with steady tremor, a sign of nervousness or exhaustion. Or both.

Her eyes linger in the infinitesimal space between Damon and Caroline's bodies, and the blonde immediately feels compelled to let go of Damon's arm.

_Note to self: discuss awkwardness with Blondie later._

Damon stops right in his track. Did Bonnie just talk to him? He interrogates Caroline with his eyes. The blonde shrugs, internally celebrating that her friend has abandoned her state of silence. She takes a step towards Bonnie and gives her a quick hug.

Bonnie's eyes never leave Damon's, and Caroline feels like she's in the middle of a conversation that she isn't meant to understand. After a long while, Bonnie cautiously looks around, and takes a step towards Damon.

"You owe me," she says in a low voice. "Big time."

Damon simply nods. She looks quite satisfied with the response and folds her arms across her chest.

"You will help me kill Klaus," Bonnie informs.

Damon's eyes quickly fly to Caroline, who's giving him the _Told Ya _look. He thought she was being Caroline and over-reacting, but it's obvious to him now that soft-tempered Bonnie is gone and has been replaced by a revenge-obsessed witch bitch. Wild, restless, angry and reckless doesn't quite cut it.

Caroline rolls her eyes, remembering Bonnie's _I am going to kill every last one of them_ and _there'll be Hell to pay _or even _Help me God, they have to die_. Until now, she was slightly concerned about who exactly her friend was referring to. The Salvatores? The Mikaelsons? Every supernatural in town? At least, now she knows.

She huffs loudly. She doesn't _like_ to discuss Klaus. The less he's mentioned in conversations, the better. He still hasn't made a move regarding the date she promised him, and she's now starting to worry. But she's also relieved. And a little offended, too. So many feelings, each a little more confusing that the last. She shakes it off and glances at Damon.

He is impressed by the cold determination in Bonnie's voice. It reminds him of a certain night in a certain school when they teamed up and fooled the villain.

"Alright," he says after a long while. "What do you need?"

* * *

><p>Stefan and Damon are standing shoulder to shoulder, as they should as the pariahs of the group, and Caroline's in the middle of Bonnie and Elena. They are all gathered at the hospital. Caroline would give anything to be anywhere else in the world; it was her dad's room.<p>

"He's awake," Elena says, looking straight at Damon, her foot nervously tapping on the floor.

It's the first words she has spoken to him in three weeks and it sounds like an accusation. Caroline tries her best to stay out of it – she's not sure she can explain the nature of her friendship with Damon just yet. Not when Elena is so openly hostile to the eldest Salvatore.

"Aren't you supposed to be relieved?" Damon says acidly. "Why d'you look so pissed?"

Elena turns around for a moment, watching as a nurse asks a few questions to Alaric.

"The doctor says it's _miraculous_ that his brain hasn't suffered any injury after such a long time in the coma."

Bonnie raises an eyebrow, wondering just why Elena can't take the little things that life gives her. Stefan heaves a sigh of relief, glad that the girl he loves won't have to suffer yet another cruel loss. Caroline smiles softly; that's one thing she can cross off the "Things to deal with" list.

As for Damon, he nods his head in bitter understanding. Elena thinks he gave blood to Alaric, while she had made it clear that she didn't want him to. He can't understand why she's always thinking the worst of him. Hasn't he crossed the line only when it came to saving her?

"You know, Elena," he growls. "I wouldn't have waited three weeks."

Caroline interrupts him in a whisper that only the vampires can hear. _Damon, please, let it go. _He noticed her watery eyes.

"It wasn't me," he simply says. "Considering what happens to people who're cured with my blood in this hospital, I wouldn't –"

"It certainly wasn't Caroline," Elena argues. "So…"

Caroline notices that Damon's body stiffens when Elena doesn't even consider that Stefan could have done it. She looks at Stefan, who looks just as surprised as the rest of them, and for some reason, a flash of sandy blonde hair washes over her.

"Let's check on Alaric," she urges nervously. "You guys can fight later."

Damon glares at Elena once more before pushing the bedroom's door open. As soon as they step into the room, they all wear a soft smile on their face, which only mirror Alaric's. He still looks a little tired, but it's obvious that supernatural healing is the only possible explanation for this.

"Hey, family," he whispers. "Who do I have to thank for the recovery, this time?"

* * *

><p>Soon enough, Caroline is driving home – far away from Alaric's questions that they can't answer and Elena's anger and Damon's annoyance and Stefan's silence and Bonnie's carelessness. A moment alone is just what she needs.<p>

Now that Alaric and Abby are out of danger, she finally feels like she's allowed to relax. She decides she'll take bath; although her perception of hot and cold has been severely diminished by her transformation, she can think of nothing she wants more than scented candles, a soft tune and bubbles.

As Caroline gets into her bedroom, she thinks she feels a presence and expects to spend the entire night listening to Damon call Elena names and complain about her (he's been doing that quite a lot lately). Her bedside lamp is unexpectedly turned on, and she jumps.

"What the Hell are you _doing_ here?" she calls incredulously.

Wearing vintage jeans and a black shirt, Klaus is nonchalantly lying on her bed, his arms under his head, legs crossed at the ankle. Cocky smirk across the lips, debonair as the Devil, he stares at her with a glint of amusement in his eyes.

"Happy to me see, sweetheart?"

"You need to go," she says. "Like, right now!"

Klaus simply smiles and points to an orchid on her desk.

"Just came to drop this," he informs. "To apologize for my impromptu disappearance. I'm sure you've missed me."

"Will you leave if I say yes?" she asks, tapping her foot on the floor angrily.

He laughs.

"More lies, really?"

Her face drops immediately. He's right – lying is what got her in this situation in the first place.

"Okay," she sighs. "My house has turned into the Wailing Wall and Bonnie might show up any second, and you and I both know you don't wanna cross paths with her right now."

Klaus nods, visibly satisfied that she's decided to be blunt about it. Maybe it's a little because she hasn't explicitly said that he has to leave because she doesn't wanna have anything to do with him.

He silently gets off the bed and heads out of the room, as Caroline watches him, unconvinced.

"One more thing before I leave," he says, turning on his heels with a small smile.

She rolls her eyes.

"You're really predictable," she says.

"Think so, love?" he asks; she nods. "How's your friend Alaric?"

Caroline exhales deeply. She had a feeling about this. It doesn't even come as a surprise.

"You're the one who healed him," she observes rhetorically.

Klaus shrugs, although he looks very pleased with himself. She's torn between the urge to give him a 'thank you' hug and calling him a bad name for causing trouble again. With the goddamned serial killer on the run, Alaric needs a bodyguard 24/7, now.

"You lot are so cruel," he mocks. "Leaving him in a coma for three weeks, really?"

Caroline's eyes widen when she realizes that she'll have to tell everyone the truth if she wants Elena to give Damon a break. She shakes her head and internally curses Klaus.

"Why did you do this?"

"Well," he drawls nonchalantly. "Poor Alaric needed help, and I was feeling magnanimous, not to mention incredibly bored. One thing led to another, and … by the way, whatever happened to your vibrant sense of family?"

She frowns. He makes his way back into the room, and the mattress creaks under his weight as he sits next to her – at a very _non_ respectable distance. She gulps as his eyes dive into hers. This proximity is confusing; she feels like he sees underneath her clothes. A little voice in the back of her mind can't help whispering that, at least, he seems to like what he sees there. She shakes the feeling off.

"Elena is family, or so you said," he reminds her. "If I'm not mistaken, Alaric is her step-father, which somehow makes him…"

"…family to me," she says, frowning some more. "I still don't understand how this is any of business."

He grimaces.

"You spend an awful lot of time at the hospital, when you're not with hanging out with your new buddy Damon," he remarks disdainfully. "And quite frankly, neon light makes you look dull."

She chokes, positively outraged by his admission to stalking her.

"You – you're…creepy," she whispers. "You need to go."

"Your wish is my command, Miss Forbes," he says in a sing-song voice.

He strides out of the room, and she wonders when things got so simple around him. He used to be a lot more…_insistent_. Not that she's complaining. When he turns around after crossing the threshold, she huffs.

"I can't deal with you right now," she pleads. "Leave, please."

"How about tomorrow, then? You do have a promise to honor."

She just _knew_ things couldn't be _that_ simple. She sighs and nods – might as well get this over with. A satisfied smile and a gust of wind later, he is gone.

**tbc...**

* * *

><p><strong>AN : Hey, readers !****Obviously, I have read all of your comments asking for endgame Klaroline. Both sides have good arguments, you're making this hard for me. I want to say thank you to all those of you who leave anonymous reviews, or who have disabled PMs. I see you, I heart you. All of you.**

** I hope you have enjoyed this chapter; sorry it's taken me a little long to update. How do you like the evolution of Damon and Caroline's friendship? What about Klaus feeding Alaric his blood to cure him, and Bonnie asking Damon's help to kill Klaus? And what about oà&s!, Elena ... ?**

**Review ;)**


	4. Nothing's Fine, I'm Torn

**4. Nothing's Fine, I'm Torn**

_Bonnie is standing in a forest. The woods look unfamiliar, although she is positive that this is Mystic Falls. The sun is shining bright in the meadow as she explores her surroundings. She has to narrow her eyes through the light to keep walking without stumbling. Far away, she can see something moving in the bushes. She narrows her eyes further, focusing to determine whether it's some animal trying to run from her, but the witch inside of her knows. It's a vampire. It's always a vampire._

_Fear is running through her veins as she scans the meadow to find a shelter. The more she looks, the more blurred everything is around her – she wants to run, but her feet remain firmly planted in the ground, as though she's been frozen. Abby materializes in front of her, a benevolent smile on her face. Relief overwhelms her – at least, from this one vampire, she has nothing to fear. _

"_The victory lies in the sky," Abby says._

_Bonnie frowns, still silent. Why can't people ever be straightforward about things?_

"_In the sky?"_

_Abby nods. There's a sudden shift in the air as day unexpectedly turns into night. _

"_The rebirth will be the end," her mother says quietly, pointing to something behind Bonnie._

_The young witch slowly turns around, anxious to find out what is going on. Her eyes widen. Where there had been only grass and flowers a moment ago, there is now an impressive tree, around which are lying five dead bodies: Kol, Finn, Rebekah, Elijah and … Klaus. But they're not alone. _

"_Esther?" Bonnie calls out._

_The Original Witch gives Bonnie a nod. _

"_The rebirth will be _their_ end."_

* * *

><p>Caroline heaves a deep sigh and takes a look at her alarm clock. She's been in bed for nearly two hours and her eyes are still wide open. <em>Damn it.<em>

The air is filled with echoes of Klaus' voice, with glimpses of the amusement in his eyes. Even in the dark, wherever she looks, she sees him. More accurately, she _feels_ him. The way he carries himself, the way his thick accent sometimes makes it seem like English is this beautiful, exotic language. His presence lingers; it just won't leave her alone. It's maddening, really.

She thinks about the very few inches between their bodies as he sat next to her, and it's enough to make her heart beat faster. There is something about this man that just gets to her. She doesn't know what it is, but she doesn't like it – this feeling that, if exposed to him for too long, she might just be forced to acknowledge that there's more to Niklaus Mikaelson than just a villain.

She once again tries to understand what she was thinking when she suggested a date with him. Wasn't there a less risky way to make it up to him? Couldn't she have just apologized and kept her damn mouth shut?

She remembers the seconds just before he left earlier. The soft smile, the impatience he didn't bother to conceal – but more importantly, the way his eyes roamed over her body. How is she going to deal with that? She can't have him getting his hopes up – the few hours she'll spend with him are nothing more than an apology. She'll be polite, listen to what he has to say, just like she promised, and go back to her life.

Nothing more, nothing less.

She growls low in her throat. She should be figuring out a way to have Damon and Bonnie talk; to have Elena and Bonnie talk. She should be thinking about Tyler and missing him. Maybe she should be trying to reconnect with Stefan. Anything but wondering what she'll wear to hang out with the resident hybrid.

When her phone vibrates on the night stand, she is more than grateful for the interruption. She hopes it's Damon; she can't think of a better way to soothe her than listening to the deep, rich tone of his voice. She hopes he wants to apologize for blowing her off earlier. She grabs her phone, not bothering to check the caller's ID (because really, nobody is rude enough to call at 2am besides Damon), and puts it to her ear.

"Missing me already?" she teases in a sleepy voice.

"Care, it's me," Bonnie says.

Caroline sits up in her bed, turns on the light. Bonnie's voice is tense, and the tension immediately transfers onto Caroline's shoulders. Klaus' presence isn't here anymore.

"Is something wrong with Abby?" Caroline asks, alarmed. "Did she hurt you?"

"Abby's fine," Bonnie reassures.

Silence.

"What's going on, Bonnie?"

Silence.

"I, erm, had this – weird dream," Bonnie says softly.

"One of your witchy dreams, you mean?"

"Yeah."

Caroline can't help herself, her sigh of annoyance is very loud. She _really_ needs a vacation, somewhere warm and sunny, possibly on the other hemisphere in a different time zone, far away from Mystic Falls and the everlasting drama.

"Okay, Bon'," she finally says. "What was it about?"

Bonnie audibly hesitates.

"Can you come over?" the witch asks eventually. "Please?"

Caroline rolls her eyes as she gets out of bed.

"I'm on my way."

For some reason, as she grabs her car keys and closes the door behind her, all Caroline can think is that she'll have bags under her eyes from the lack of sleep and that Klaus will think she looks hideous.

The thought gives way to a wave of self-loathing, and when she gets like this, she is nothing short of useless, so, on her way to Bonnie's house, she sends a text to Damon, which results in him standing on the front porch of Bonnie's house in the middle of the night.

The street is empty, as everyone in their right mind is still comfortably tucked in bed. Caroline's car has been hastily parked in the alley, and he can hear her whispers from inside. He can think of about a million places where he'd rather be – number one being his bed - but her _Meet me at Bonnie's right now_ was cryptic enough to lure him out.

Truth be told, he appreciates the change – for once, he's not dropping everything he's doing to save the doppelganger's life.

Damon grimaces at the thought of Elena. He still isn't over their quarrel at the hospital; he will have to give her a piece of his mind at some point. The fact that he had – has – feelings for her doesn't allow her to monitor and judge his every action. Elena Gilbert, despite her numerous qualities, can prove quite exhausting to be around; she asks too much, she takes too much, but more importantly, she takes more than she gives and Damon doesn't want this anymore.

"Hey," Caroline snaps, slapping his shoulder. "What's with the weird look?"

He blinks rapidly, realizing that his fingers have curled into fists. He takes a deep breath to regain composure.

"What's with the cryptic text?" he fires back. "You just can't live without me, can you?"

He gives her a light smile and she rolls her eyes. He really needs to learn a more pleasant way to greet her. He leans against the doorframe with that cocky smirk of his, waiting for her to explain.

When Abby and Bonnie appear next to Caroline, Damon drops his playful demeanour and straightens his posture, willingly giving away that he's uncomfortable. Bonnie glares at him, and although he refuses to look down, his jaw tics. His blue eyes then travel to Abby and he frantically looks for something appropriate to say. But what exactly do you say to someone whose neck you snapped?

"Bonnie," Caroline calls sternly. "Let him in."

"Your friend is right, Bonnie," Abby says. "You need his help."

Damon gives a grateful look to Abby, and he's surprised when she smiles at him. Isn't she full of resentment, like her daughter? He's turned her life upside down, after all. If you ask him, it's for the best, but people seem to disagree with him on that particular issue.

"You heard your mamma, Bonnie," he sings.

"Oh, I will invite you in," Bonnie smiles dryly. "After you apologize to Abby."

"What?" he exclaims. "Is this why you got me out of bed in the middle of the night?"

"If Stefan wasn't having blood issues again, you wouldn't be here," Bonnie informs coldly.

It's like a blow right in his stomach. Why is everyone – except Blondie – so willing to give Stefan a free pass for everything?

"And _I _certainly didn't call you," the witch adds.

Caroline huffs when Damon glares at her. Of course, he'd take this out on her. Because usually, she can take it – but not today. The clock is ticking and her date with Klaus is just around the corner. She isn't to be messed with.

"Bonnie's had one of her dreams about killing the Originals. But before we get to that, you need to fix this, Damon," she snaps at him.

"Yeah, Damon," Bonnie mocks. "Fix this, tell us how sorry you are for being…well, Damon."

"I'm not going to apologize," he eventually says, struggling to keep his voice even.

Bonnie's eyes widen slightly, and she wonders if the neighbours would wake up if she made him scream in pain with one of her aneurism tricks. Or if she sent him flying across the street and used the branch of a tree to stake him. There's nothing she wants more at this precise moment, and a vicious smile creeps up her face as she imagines a branch perforating his stomach, his lips smeared with his own blood, for a change.

"Yes, you are," she insists.

"No, I am not," he says firmly. "I'm not sorry, and I know how much you hate lies, Judgy."

Caroline knows very well where this is headed. Damon has never said a word about his motives, but they seem pretty obvious to her. Even if they've grown closer, she knows Damon would stake her right then and there if Elena's safety was threatened. However horrifying, she admires his unfailing loyalty to the brunette. Looking at it from his perspective, Damon has nothing to apologize for.

Bonnie steps outside of the house, taking a few steps in his direction. She stops only when Caroline calls her name quietly, almost as a reminder that this is reality and not one of her fantasies where she can kill Damon over and over again.

Her petite body mere inches away from Damon's, Bonnie looks up, right into his eyes, her arms folded across her chest. For a moment, the fire in her eyes is enough to run a shiver of horror down his spine – and he's Damon Salvatore, he's not easily impressionable.

"Don't push me, Damon," Bonnie warns.

"What if I _did_ push you, Bonnie?" Damon says, closing the distance between their bodies, towering above her.

That's when Caroline decides that she's had enough. First, Abby is still there, witnessing the whole scene and such tension isn't good for her still precarious control. Second, she is seriously lacking sleep so tension isn't good for her either. And third, she simply can't stand seeing two of her friends being at odds like this anymore.

"Shut up, both of you," she says. "Abby, time to feed. I'll meet you in the kitchen in a moment, okay?"

Damon looks at Caroline with a surprised smile.

_Note to self: tell Blondie I like it when she gets bossy._

Abby complies, nodding politely to Damon before disappearing into the kitchen. Caroline comes to stand between Damon and Bonnie, forcing them to step away from each other. Her eyes travel between the two, and all she sees is kindergarten material.

"Okay you two," she says. "I'm sick of this. You need to be adults and talk about it. I swear to God I won't speak a word to either of you until it's done."

Damon snorts, always ready to pick a fight with her. (Also, he needs a break from the tension).

"I can live without your incessant babbling, Blondie," he mocks. "Try again."

She looks at him in that _Caroline _way and he sighs. She really is a terrible influence on him. He looks at Bonnie again, and she seems completely unmoved by Caroline's words. In those green eyes, he sees nothing but anger.

"I won't say I'm sorry. Because if I needed to, I'd do exactly the same," he says, more softly. "I did what I had to do to –"

"Save Elena," Bonnie finishes for him. "Because Elena _always_ comes first."

The bitterness in her voice isn't missed; Damon remembers a time when Bonnie was willing to die to save the Gilbert girl, and he realizes that, at the end of the day, blood ties will prevail on anything else. He can relate to that. He has put himself in this situation precisely because of blood ties – he has given up on the possibility of a relationship with Elena and accepted to bear the burden of Bonnie's hatred just so Stefan wouldn't have to.

For a moment, he hesitates. He hasn't come here to explain himself, but maybe now is the right time to get this out of his system and move on. He'd rather die than admit it out loud, but he doesn't like to have Bonnie hate him again. It feels like going back to the start, when everyone looked at Stefan with admiration, and considered him the definition of evil. He sighs, frustration building up and making his breath heavy.

"Why can't anyone see that I also did this for _you_?" he asks through gritted teeth.

Caroline and Bonnie exchange a puzzled look.

"You're the _vampire-hating Bennett witch_," he clarifies. "You stopped speaking to your best friend for _weeks_ after she turned! You wouldn't have transitioned."

She is a witch, a servant of Nature. Her purpose is to fight vampires, to protect mankind from the atrocities of such monsters. She'd rather die than become one of them. What would be her purpose then? She'd be dependent on human blood, driven by the need to kill and desecrate Life. Would she have chosen this path? Hell, no.

"Turning your mom was the lesser of two evils," he says after a while. "You know I'm right, so get over yourself."

Bonnie's mouth opens and closes as she processes Damon's words. They are so utterly true that she can't find anything to respond. He has done this to save Elena, but he's done this also to make sure that she stayed alive. He has actually done that. To protect _her, _to save _her_. Because she matters.

All of a sudden, her anger goes down from a wild fire to a flickering flame. She takes a deep breath, refusing to offer Damon any word of understanding, and gets back inside the house.

"Come in, Damon."

Caroline heaves a sigh of relief.

* * *

><p>Klaus has been around the world and back; he has enjoyed the company of princesses and queens. Some have used their charms on him, and more often than not, he has gladly let himself be seduced. Thus, he considers himself an expert when it comes to acknowledging beauty.<p>

And standing there, leaning in the doorway of Caroline's ensuite bathroom, arms folded across his chest, head slightly cocked to the side, he would like to tell her that she does not need makeup. He doesn't though.

He watches as she handles concealer, foundation and blush, trading one brush for another with the precision of a surgeon. She is apparently trying hard to cover the bags under her eyes. She frowns, visibly unhappy with the result. Klaus gasps soundlessly as the reason for her annoyance makes itself clear to him.

The peach-coloured lipstick will have him want to kiss her lips all night long, that's a given – he won't allow himself to (he barely dares to imagine it), but he'll think about it, over and over again. The pink blush will make her look radiant when – if – she smiles. The mascara will make him feel like his heart stops beating when she looks at him beneath the long lashes of her pretty blue eyes.

She wants to look beautiful. _For him. _And he just _has to _comment on that.

"If I didn't know better, Miss Forbes, I would believe you're trying to seduce me."

Caroline jolts, dropping her eyeliner in the sink. Resorting to his incomparable speed, Klaus catches it and hands it back to her, inhaling the heavenly scent of her perfume in the process. His good manners make him take a step back; she doesn't like it when he invades her private space, and the last thing he wants is to upset her so early in the evening.

The young vampire glares at him, and, biting back a smile, he allows himself to observe her outfit – he had been too busy scrutinizing her face to notice the clothes. They clearly contrast with the sophistication of her makeup: she's wearing a short black skirt and an ivory top with a V-neck. Simplicity at its highest, and yet, he isn't quite sure she has ever seemed so pretty. All because she has picked these clothes for _him_.

Caroline assumes a defensive posture.

"Did you not understand the part where we're supposed to meet outside the Grill?"

A smile appears at the corner of Klaus' lips.

"I just happen to have a much better plan, love."

She doesn't exactly look surprised.

* * *

><p>"Going out for a while," Damon says loudly. "Don't wait up."<p>

Stefan emerges from the kitchen, a blood bag in one hand, a glass in the other. Damon rapidly searches his brother's face for any sign of unusual tension, but the green-eyed vampire looks more in control that he's been over the past few days, which is a good thing, because Damon has too much on his hands right now to deal with Stefan's withdrawal symptoms. His mind briefly flashbacks to the long conversation he had with Bonnie and Caroline. Maybe it would be wise to keep Stefan updated with more than just "Bonnie had a dream. She may have found another white oak tree". Later.

"You okay?" Damon asks, genuine concern filtering from his words.

Stefan nods. He pours some blood in the glass and swallows it without wincing. He looks affected, sure, but not the way he used to be. There's progress here. Damon secretly smiles at the hint of pride on his little brother's face. Regret immediately washes over him; he should have devoted time to Stefan a long while ago.

"Look who's in control," Damon says with a smile. "Now I can move on to my next project."

Stefan's face immediately darkens.

"Are we sure Bonnie can be trusted on this whole tree thing?" Stefan says. "She's been in emotional distress since Abby turned, it wouldn't be surprising if her subconscious was just finding ways to ease her real-life frustrations."

Damon snorts.

"She's a witch, Doctor Freud. Witches don't ease their "real-life frustrations" in dreams; they take down the bad guys."

"Are we _sure_?" Stefan asks again.

"Can we discuss this later?" Damon says, impatiently looking down to his watch.

Stefan walks to the living room, drops the glass and blood bag on the coffee table, then folds his muscular arms across his chest. He scrutinizes Damon, who looks strangely agitated, now that he pays attention.

"No, we can't," Stefan finally says. "You do know that _if_ there is a second white oak tree, Klaus is on to it, right?"

Damon rolls his eyes. Stefan holds up his hands with a shrug.

"I'm just saying," he adds. "It explains why he was out of town for a while, as well as Elijah sticking around and Rebekah questioning Mayor Lockwood."

Damon understands that Stefan feels like he's being kept out of the loop, but right now isn't the best time to sit down and discuss strategies. However, he decides that his catching up with Caroline can wait, and joins his brother on the couch. He takes a deep breath and tries to remember the details of Bonnie's dream. The woods, the sudden appearance of Esther and her dead kids. The day that turns into night.

"A solar eclipse, maybe?" Stefan suggests. "Witches have a privileged connexion to Nature, right?"

Damon nods.

"I'm not taking chances with this," he assures. "We're going to make sure the witch hasn't gone cray-cray."

"How?" Stefan insists.

"You just don't give up, do you?" Damon exclaims, half-annoyed, half-amused. "Bonnie's trying to get in touch with Esther as we speak. Caroline is supposed to have Elena take some more pictures of the Lockwood cave to find the missing piece of the story."

"That is, if there's a missing piece," Stefan points out. "Besides, didn't Alaric interpret all the drawings already?"

"Yeah, well, he says there are some things he couldn't decipher, so I'll be getting help from his _friend_ Vanessa."

"Why the huge quotation marks? Who's this girl?"

"The crazy hot chick from Duke who shot me with a bow," Damon answers with the hint of a smile. "Good ol' times. Anyway, we'll see what the Original Bitch has to say, add the info we get from Vanessa and then, set things in motion."

Stefan ponders the validity of the plan, but finds nothing to question. For once, Damon has thought this through carefully, putting reason before action.

"Look who's being cautious," he says appreciatively.

"Ugh, you're rubbing off on me," Damon says, feigning annoyance. "I shouldn't spend so much time around you."

Stefan laughs, but the amusement doesn't last. If Damon stops spending time around him, then he'll be completely alone. Caroline hasn't spoken a word to him despite her many visits at the boarding house, and Elena resents that he's trying to have a healthy human blood diet. Bonnie is an entirely different story, and Alaric, well, was in a coma until yesterday. Damon is everything he has left.

At the same time, Damon clears his throat.

"Bonnie wanted to call _you_," he explains quietly. "But Caroline is still, erm, concerned. And Elena doesn't know anything about this yet, so…"

"Since when do you have any tact?" Stefan mocks, in an attempt to lighten the mood. "I'm dead to Caroline and Elena wants nothing to do with a ripper."

Silence lingers between the two as they stare deep into each other's eyes. Damon shifts uncomfortably; he'd like to offer words of comfort to his baby bro about his relationship with Elena, but he just can't bring himself to find any.

"Maybe you could dig a little and find out if there's a solar eclipse coming our way," he suggests. "It'll give us an idea of how much time we have to figure this out."

"Thank you," Stefan answers, grateful that Damon is trying to give him a little purpose.

Before Damon can come up with a sarcastic remark, his phone beeps loudly, signalling a text message. He quickly pulls it out of his pocket, smiling when he sees Caroline's name on the screen. However, when he opens the message, he turns livid for a second, before flashing a polite smile in Stefan's direction.

"Okay, then," Damon says. "I'm gonna go before you start crying."

Stefan laughs, and suddenly the air isn't so heavy between the two brothers anymore.

"What's the rush? Isn't Caroline coming over tonight?"

Damon stops right in his tracks. He doesn't like to keep this a secret from Stefan, but he really doesn't want to take any wild guess, and even less to face Caroline's fury, so he settles for a half-lie.

"Blondie and I have some business out of town for the evening."

* * *

><p>By the time she and Klaus are comfortably settled in this old fashioned restaurant somewhere outside of Mystic Falls, Caroline isn't so sure why she texted Damon anymore.<p>

When Klaus informed her that he was "taking her away" for dinner with a mischievous smile, her heart skipped a beat. What if this was the first step of his revenge? He was never known for his ability to forgive, and she had betrayed him in the worst way possible. Maybe he was taking her away to spend days and days torturing her.

So, why did she agree to follow him? The mystery remains whole. There was something in his eyes, something trustworthy; for a minute, she remembered the eager man who'd asked her to take a chance on him, and the next, she was discreetly typing a 911 text and getting inside Klaus' elegant car.

She can't say she regrets it. He has been nothing but courteous with her, compliment after compliment, like a true gentleman. Truth be told, she sort of enjoys the company of such a well-mannered man – he is nothing like Tyler, or even Matt, who's the sweetest guy she has ever been out to dinner with.

The atmosphere is very friendly, and, now that she doesn't have familiar faces around her, she could almost believe that this is nothing more than a pleasant dinner with a friend. Although Klaus has made it quite clear that friendship is not what he desires.

"Why did you bring me here?" she asks before sipping a glass of the finest wine she has ever tasted. "We could have had dinner at your place."

The Hybrid gives her a side glance, taking his time to formulate his answer and secretly making a mental note to underline that she wouldn't have objected to being alone with him in his house.

"I liked the idea of being your knight on a white horse. Alas, technical constraints forced me to give up on the horse," he explains.

She smiles slightly; she doesn't want to, but he is making it hard.

"I figured you could use a break from the mayhem, sweetheart. Was I right to make that assumption?"

"The change of scenery is nice," she concedes.

"It is also nice that my eyes don't fall on a familiar face wherever I look," Klaus mumbles.

Caroline nibbles on her lower lip nervously; Damon must be on his way, and she's very unsure of what his reaction will be when this lovely scene unfolds before his eyes. Her text message was very evasive; she only gave him her location and said _I'm not alone so stay put unless I'm in danger. Don't tell anyone about this. _By now, he'll have guessed that she is with Klaus, and he'll be seriously enraged.

"Yeah," she sighs. "It's nice."

"My offer still stands and it's open-ended," he says, oblivious to the irony behind her words.

Caroline frowns.

"Wherever you want, Caroline" he reminds her. "Rome, Paris, Tokyo."

She can't help rolling her eyes at the smouldering look he is giving her. This same look from anybody else would have her turn crimson; better yet, any other man giving her that look could have obtained anything from her. _It worked for Damon_, she thinks, flashes of her brief fling with the eldest Salvatore coming back to her.

But not Klaus. Because she is fighting it with every fibre of her being and resolutely ignoring the way her stomach is tying into knots.

"I think I'll pass," she whispers, knowing he'll hear. "I happen to like Mystic Falls."

"Oh, I love it there," Klaus underlines. "It's the dwellers that I have trouble with."

"Go figure," she replies acidly.

Klaus looks down to his plate, considering it best to let silence settle for a little while.

* * *

><p>Damon's relationship with Caroline is something that he can't quite define, and he likes it that way. Things are simple around Caroline; and he hasn't often enjoyed that in his interactions with women. Despite her incessant drama, she isn't deceitful – she knows how to call a spade a spade, and at this stage of his life, this is exactly what he wants.<p>

On his way to meeting her, he curses under his breath, over and over. He has no idea what messed up situation she has put herself into, but he sure as Hell isn't going to like it.

* * *

><p>They have engaged in a game of twenty questions. Sort of. Klaus asks the real questions, while Caroline sticks to the shallow ones. First kiss, favourite colours and the likes.<p>

"So you don't want to get married," he states. "What about kids?"

Klaus bites on his lower lip, sensing her discomfort and wishing he could turn back time just so the question wouldn't blurt out. She is the one to blame. She has allowed the conversation to turn into something so pleasant, so mundane that he's almost forgotten that she is a vampire and that kids are no longer an option for her.

"A son and a daughter," Caroline confesses, a shadow passing through her eyes.

His first instinct is to offer her a comforting hug, but he settles for brushing the back of her hand on the table; she doesn't shake him off. He savours the chaste contact, draws patterns on her creamy skin with his thumb. He feels her shiver.

"You still can," he observes, his voice low. "Have children."

She tears her eyes away from her hand, questions him silently. His face breaks into a devilish grin.

"You have pointed out that I am good at stealing things," he explains. "So, whenever you're ready, you just have to say the word."

Caroline's blue eyes widen at the horror behind his words. She tries to picture him sneaking in some hospital, scorning the blood bank area and heading straight to the maternity. His tall, broad figure hovering over a crib, looking for the perfect baby to steal for her. The image is beyond ridiculous, and she bites the insides of her cheek to keep a straight face.

Klaus imperceptibly tenses, feeling that this could be a defining moment. Should he manage to earn one true, honest smile from her lips, it could be the start of something bigger than she imagines.

"You're insane," she simply says.

Klaus' heart melts when she offers him a smile.

* * *

><p>When Damon gets there and recognizes Klaus' car, his undead heat sinks. He'll kill Caroline if she walks out of there alive. He will.<p>

* * *

><p>Caroline smiles as the waiter brings the dessert Klaus has ordered for her. For appetizers, she had sushi; her main meal was Italian and now, a <em>tarte Tatin<em>, faithful to the French recipe.

"You've managed to take me, or at least my palate, to Rome, Paris _and _Tokyo," she says admiringly. "You're stubborn as a mule."

"I do find pride in my strong-mindedness," he says with a smirk. "Besides, the French are quite the bakers."

She almost spills her glass of sparkling cider when she catches a glimpse of a very furious Damon walking in. Luckily, he swiftly sneaks into the back of the restaurant and Klaus doesn't flinch.

"So, what's the story?" she asks, trying to distract Klaus. "You've had anecdotes about everything we've eaten so far."

"Quite funny you should ask," he answers. "This one is actually about a girl named Caroline."

"Oh?"

She glances to the back of the room, where Damon is looking at her with wide eyes, but staying put. For the moment.

"The pie was invented in the 19th century in the Centre of France."

She focuses her attention back to Klaus; she can't have him find out about this.

"One day, as she was baking a regular apple pie for some hunters, Caroline let the apples burn. Instead of throwing them away, she decided to add some pastry on top of them and baked the upside down pie. It was delicious."

Caroline gapes at him, and he laughs. She tries to imagine him dressed as a hunter, and it's almost enough to make her forget that Damon's here and that Klaus _will_ kill her this time, if he finds out.

"You were _there_?"

He shrugs, his eyes shining with pride.

"Who do you think talked Caroline into turning this little accident into an actual recipe?"

* * *

><p>Damon is trying his very best not to rush to the table, throw Caroline on his shoulder and run. His last encounters with Klaus have always resulted in him getting nearly killed, and he isn't in the mood for a fight. But more importantly, he has trouble believing his eyes and ears.<p>

Caroline, laughing at Klaus' jokes. Caroline, urging Klaus to tell her more stories about his travels around the world. Caroline smiling at Klaus.

When the waiter brings a tumbler and a bottle of Bourbon, he leaves the tumbler and takes the bottle.

* * *

><p>"I brought you here hoping to change what you see when you look at me," Klaus confesses after they've had a nice cup of coffee and the night's almost over.<p>

Caroline pauses. She isn't comfortable having this conversation with Damon so close. She can already hear him yell at her for putting herself in danger. But she has promised Klaus to be honest, and she wants to keep her word. Besides, if everything works out, he'll be dead soon, so what does it matter if she admits to having enjoyed herself?

"You don't know what I see," she says after a moment.

"By all means, enlighten me."

She takes a deep breath, quickly glances in Damon's direction – he has stopped watching them.

"We could have been friends," Caroline eventually says. "You're a very cultured man, and you've been places, and your stupid sense of humour is actually funny."

He values the compliment for what it's worth, knowing very well that it won't get much better than that.

"But what?" he encourages. "You can say the rest of it, love, it's okay."

"You know what," she says, reluctant to make the list of his crimes once again.

His jaw ticks as reality makes its way back between them. He observes her carefully.

"You seem sorry," he points out.

"I am," she admits. "Sorry that your siblings come and go and that you've been alone for so long and sorry that I can't give you what you're looking for."

He doesn't bother to hide his disappointment; he also decides that it's time to point out the mistakes in her logic.

"Damon Salvatore is a killer, and he has abused you in the past," he states. "I've done my research. He has compelled your feelings and shamelessly fed on you, the bastard."

She chokes on her glass of water.

"Wh-what does Damon have to do with anything?"

He smiles softly, slightly amused by her naïveté. The fact that she underestimates him should be irritating – he has a long history of being underestimated by his father – but it's rather soothing. It gives him the illusion that she forgets how powerful he is; how powerful, how monstrous.

"You insisted to keep _this_," he says, gesturing between them, "a secret, however Damon has been staring at us for quite a while, now."

Caroline immediately looks down, turning a crimson shade of red. She hasn't felt so mortified in a while, but she can't bring herself to apologize.

"Quite frankly, it does hurt my feelings that you've spent so much time glancing at another man during our date," Klaus continues in a teasing voice.

Her eyes meet his, and he smiles at her.

"At least, now I know that I have to earn your undivided attention, sweetheart."

She hesitates, struggling not to look at Damon. She frowns, surprised that Klaus is taking this so very well. It doesn't make the guilt go away.

"I needed to feel safe," she whispers. "You have a long history of snapping and killing people. And when you don't do that, you _sire_ them."

Klaus flinches – it's the fourth time tonight that she has implicitly referred to Tyler. He doesn't let it trouble him, though. He'll deal with the Tyler situation later.

"That's is precisely my point," he says. "You say we can't be friends because of what I did in the past, and I do understand that. But you give _Damon_ your trust and you care about him. Seems rather unfair to me."

This time, Caroline looks at Damon; he's resumed looking at them, and she feels his eyes lingering on her.

"He – he has changed. I forgave him."

Klaus stays silent for a long while, although his eyes tell her more than any word could. _I could change, too. _

He gestures to the waiter and signs the bill, maintaining a pleasant smile on his face. Caroline frowns at the abrupt interruption; she thought he would have done everything in his power to prolong the evening. He rises from his chair and drops a kiss on her cheek.

The touch is light as a feather, but it makes her blood boil. The sensation of his warm breath tickling her skin, of his soft lips lingering just a little longer than necessary – it's simply too much for her. Her eyes shut close.

"I reckon your dear friend will get you home safe, love," he whispers in her ear. "I will see you around."

When she opens her eyes, he is gone and Damon is striding towards her, his hands in his pockets. He is trying his best to look careless, but he can't help glaring at the chair that Klaus has left empty. He borrows one from the closest table, refusing to "fill in" for the hybrid.

"So check this out," he says in a parody of gossipy teenagers, "the big bad Original Hybrid is jealous of…_me_. Because I'm awesome like that."

"Shut up," but she laughs.

**tbc ...**

* * *

><p><strong>AN - Hello everyone ! Please forgive me for making you wait so long. I've been really busy with college and all, but see? I'm trying to make it up to you with an extra long chapter, and a very eventful one ! **

**I was kind of unhappy with the way the second white oak tree has been brought into the story on the show, so I decided to bring my own little twist to it. I have not decided yet what I'm going to do about the whole Alaric storyline but some elements of the canon will be included as well.**

**Bonnie's dream, her talk with Damon, the Salvatore moment and of course ... Klaus and Caroline's "date" ! Show me the love and please don't keep the criticism out. ****This chapter still needs to be checked for typos btw. I'm just too impatient for y'all to read it.**

**- M. - **


	5. Somebody I Used to Know

**5. Somebody I Used to Know**

Klaus watches from the corner of his eye as Elijah silently paces around the living-room, his right hand tucked inside the pocket of his suit. He is taking unnecessary breaths at regular intervals, just like a metronome. Those are the signs of internal turmoil; his brother has always been taciturn, but their mother's return has pushed him further into his reserve. His Italian shoes make the floorboards creak every time he comes around the fireplace, and it's actually more than Klaus can stand.

"Care to take your brooding elsewhere, brother?" he asks dryly. "Some of us actually –"

Elijah pauses, runs his left hand through his impeccable silky hair and turns to face his brother.

"Care to explain how we haven't found the white oak tree yet, brother?"

Contrary to Klaus', Elijah voice is incredibly quiet; he could have been asking about the weather with equal apparent disinterest. This is something Klaus has always admired: while he and his other siblings have taken after Mikael's terrible temper, Elijah is serene in any situation, just like their mother.

Deigning to pay his brother a little attention, Klaus sighs. He hasn't been devoting much attention to the tree, apart from the little road trip he took with Elijah and Rebekah a few days ago. He has carefully threatened his best informers, and nobody has ever heard about a second white oak tree. Frustrating as it is, he really is in no condition to deal with this.

"You have been uncharacteristically absent-minded, Niklaus," Elijah states. "May I ask what has been grabbing your attention?"

Klaus imperceptibly winces as his blue eyes finally meet his brother's hazel ones. Temptation is strong to answer with a shrug: _why, Caroline, of course. _The girl has been monopolizing his thoughts incessantly since he left her in Damon's care at the restaurant. His mind has been running wild replaying every word she said to him, every time she let herself smile at him.

Elijah clears his throat, carefully observing his brother, and unsure of how to address this particular issue. After so much time spent hating Klaus, he finds it rather unsettling to be in this sumptuous mansion he should call home. Even more, it makes no sense at all to be concerned about Klaus' dumps. However, Elijah has come to terms with the realization that nothing about his long life makes any sense. He cautiously positions himself in front of Klaus, towering over his brother, and losing nothing of his inherent quietness.

"Your face bears the marks of infatuation," he eventually observes.

Klaus takes a sharp intake of unneeded air. He vividly remembers the last time he has heard those words coming from Elijah; they had been more teasing, less awkward. More curious, less cautious. Back when the three of them, with Rebekah, were still "we", always and forever.

"The blonde," Elijah pushes softly. "Caroline Forbes."

When he enunciates her name, Elijah is careful to infuse the right amount of reverence and admiration to elicit a reaction from his brother. They have an embarrassing history of sharing women and the mere memory of Tatia is enough to have Klaus glaring at Elijah. The brown-eyed Original simply offers a satisfied half-smile to his brother. Understanding that he's been caught, Klaus growls low in his throat and folds his arms across his chest, a gesture that oddly reminds Elijah of both a rebellious child and Rebekah – which, to be quite honest, is the same.

"Caroline, then," Elijah says, eyebrows rising.

"Ever so annoyingly perspicacious, Eli," is all Klaus can bring himself to say about the subject, and therefore, silence settles back in the spacious parlour. Silence had never been anything but companionable between them, but things have changed: Klaus has lied, and Klaus has cheated. Klaus has broken the promise of forever, and noble as he might be, this isn't something Elijah can forgive and forget that easily.

Klaus watches, quite puzzled, as Elijah swiftly unbuttons his suit jacket and makes himself comfortable in the chair opposite his own. His ankle resting on his knee, the Quiet One folds his hands and waits.

"It is safe to assume the girl does not reciprocate your – affections ," Elijah says, almost to himself.

Once again, Klaus refuses to confirm such embarrassing allegations. _Although, when they are true, they are not quite allegations, are they?_

"Forgive me for bringing this to your attention, Klaus," Elijah says, "but your taste in women, however delightful, has never failed to get you, and others, in trouble."

"And I thank you for the reminder," Klaus says through his teeth.

For a moment, Elijah's face softens, showing regret that he's rubbed salt in a wound that has visibly yet to heal. As far as he knows, Tatia has been the first and the last woman Klaus has ever developed romantic feelings towards; but maybe there have been others. The uncertainty bothers him; he remembers a time when he and Klaus would share their smallest thought, sometimes without even using words.

Back when their hearts were still pumping blood through their veins and when their biggest concern was to avoid their father's reprimands. So long ago that most humans would listen to such stories only if they started with "once upon a time, in a faraway land".

A sign of his growing uneasiness, Elijah starts drumming his fingers on the arm of his large chair.

"Have you endeavoured to woo the lady yet?" he asks. "I'm sure you've at least sent her one of those sketches Rebekah says you were tossing into the fire the other day."

"You do know this is the twenty-first century, right?" Klaus says warily, refusing to confirm Elijah's hypothesis. "I am pretty sure nobody uses the term 'woo' anymore."

Elijah smiles.

"I find men's behaviour regarding matters of the heart more than vulgar in this century," he explains. "Besides, I believe terms such as 'woo' are precisely what will pave your way to Miss Forbes' heart. She strikes me as the fairy tale kind of girl."

Klaus frowns, curious to hear where this is going. The situation is unusual; he hasn't had a heart-to-heart with anyone in a long time. He isn't sure he remembers how to do this anymore. He rubs his chin absent-mindedly, trying not to sound too eager.

"How would you possibly know?" he asks, a little defensively. Elijah simply smiles again.

"I have carefully observed Miss Gilbert and her acquaintances before you came back in town," Elijah informs. "Caroline Forbes was on the list of people I had to protect from you."

Klaus rolls his eyes.

"If I wanted her dead, she would be," he says.

"Say that to Damon Salvatore," Elijah fires back, ever so quietly. "I believe he's the one who spared her from being sacrificed on your alter of fire."

Klaus' face hardens at once. _Damon Salvatore_. Not only has he stood in his way all summer, he has also repeatedly messed up his plans. But his latest achievements are the worst. Klaus can't tell what annoys him the most: that Damon has slept with his sister, or that he's developed some sort of fascination towards Caroline.

"I just can't seem to be rid of this bloke," Klaus grumbles. "They're all over him."

_Rebekah, Caroline – why is it that the women he cares most about are swooning over that prick?_

Elijah observes as jealousy overwhelms his brother's face, in a mix of astonishment and relief. He honestly didn't believe Klaus could feel such a trivial emotion. That's what makes the decision for him.

"It is possible that I know something," Elijah says in a barely audible whisper. "Something that would make the girl realise that Damon Salvatore isn't a hundred per cent hero, and that you, on the other hand, aren't a hundred per cent villain."

The words take Klaus off guard. They have been spoken so simply; it tugs at his heart strings that someone who he has hurt would still believe that somewhere, deep down inside, there's still a part of him that hasn't been completely engulfed by darkness. Then again, it should not surprise him that this person be Elijah. His brother has always been one to seek the best in people – it's led him to one too many disappointments before.

"Is that what you think?"

Elijah decides to play dumb, something he never does.

"I am quite positive this information will turn the tables around for you, yes."

Klaus lets out a bitter chuckle; Elijah has never been very subtle when it comes to avoiding questions. It goes against his inner disposition to deflect.

"Why are you doing this?" Klaus presses.

A patronizing smile ghosts over Elijah's lips as he attempts to find the right words to answer. He rises from his chair, buttons his jacket and strides out of the room without a look back to Klaus.

"Love is a human emotion, Niklaus," he simply says.

_If Klaus is still capable of love, then maybe one day, they can be brothers again._

"Besides," Elijah adds, "Damon Salvatore and his arrogance annoy me. I wouldn't be sorry to see Miss Forbes neglecting him for the big bad Wolf. Now, do you want to know how we will achieve this?"

Klaus tries his best not to grin stupidly at the use of the pronoun "we".

* * *

><p>Caroline doesn't bother to dry her hair when she gets a cryptic text from Damon. <em>Meet me at the house right now. <em>She curses under her breath, jumps in the first dress she can grab and barely takes time to swallow a blood bag, wondering which apocalypse is about to hit Mystic Falls this time. Once again, she secretly longs for a Margarita and a deckchair somewhere. Anywhere, really. She reprimands herself for her very frequent desire to run.

Soon enough, she hurls the door of the boarding house open, only to meet a pair of green eyes. She stops right in her tracks, a split second before she bumps into Stefan. Her jaw ticks; she usually ignores him when she comes over, but being this close to him, she's almost tempted to throw her arms around him. There's something different about the way he looks at her; usually he just pretends not to be there, but this time, he is looking her in the eye, expectantly.

"Hi, Caroline," Stefan says softly. "It's good to see you."

She swallows the lump in her throat at the tenderness of his voice. He hasn't spoken to her like this since he left town with Klaus months ago. Confusion washes over her. _Why is he being like this? _

"Your hair," he says, pointing to her damp locks. "What happened?"

"Don't worry 'bout it," she answers defensively. "Where's Damon? He said to meet him here."

He offers her a small smile.

"Come in."

He steps aside, a genuine smile still curling his lips. Caroline walks in, throwing a suspicious look at him. Contrary to Bonnie, she has never been one to believe in auras and vibrations, but she certainly feels some strange vibes coming off of Stefan and she doesn't like it one bit. More importantly, she is growing uncomfortable, standing here with someone she used to know, in an awkward silence.

"Sounds like you two are having fun," Damon mocks as he walks in, visibly in a rush.

Caroline isn't in the mood for his sarcasm.

"Cut the crap," she snaps. "What's the emergency?"

Damon bothers to look at her and his eyes widen at the way she looks. He has never seen Caroline Forbes looking anything less than _perfect_ and there she is, in a typical Sunday dress, almost without makeup and damp locks sticking to her forehead. The worst part is, she still manages to pull it off: she looks gorgeous. He exhales deeply, wondering when he started thinking about her in terms of beauty. He tries to cover it and makes a face at her.

"You look like a wet dog," Damon teases.

"Screw you, jerk," she spits. "Clearly this is no emergency so I'm gonna go back –"

"It _is_ an emergency," he counters with a devious smirk. "Just not the one you expect. Stefan will explain."

Even though the situation makes him slightly uncomfortable, Stefan wants to laugh at the shriek that Caroline fails to muffle with her hand. He fights to maintain an afflicted look on his face when her eyes fall on him, biting the insides of his cheek. He hasn't felt the need to laugh in a long while, and it doesn't even surprise him that Caroline's the one to thank for it. She has always been a ray of sun shining through his dark and brooding mood.

"Are we going somewhere?" she asks Damon.

"I am," he says with a shrug.

"Where?"

"Not your business."

The blonde quickly glances at the one she used to call a friend, almost expecting him to step up for her the way he usually would. When he doesn't, she suddenly puts the pieces together – she's fallen right into Damon's trap.

_He wants her and Stefan to talk. Damn him. _

Inhaling deeply, she takes her time to really look at Stefan – although she tries to cover it with a kinda sorta glare.

Now that he has lost some of that ripper allure, he's back to the Stefan who made her eat bunnies until she could not stand it anymore, who repeatedly told her she didn't have to feel bad about being a vampire, who held her as she cried every time the dark veins under her eyes unexpectedly surfaced on her skin.

It would be so easy to forget his time away. It would only take one word from him – the _right_ word – to put this in the past and move on. But she won't let herself just yet. There are so many things she wants to say, so many feelings she needs to let out – it's simply not the right time.

She refuses to fill the silence, oblivious to Damon's growing impatience. Stefan remains quiet as well, feeling like Caroline is the one who calls the shots here. He wants to fix things with her, badly; but he won't twist her arm. This will happen on her terms only.

"Okay," Damon drawls. "All the awkwardness is giving me a headache. I'm out."

He throws one last look at the furious blonde, and smirks when she glares at him. _Oh, if looks could kill. _It's clear in her eyes that she _cannot believe he's doing this to her._ He is deliberately setting her up, trapping her into having a conversation with Stefan when he knows it's the last thing she wants. There'll be Hell to pay for this one, he knows, but it's for the best.

"See ya," Damon quips.

Caroline's jaw almost drops to the floor, in a way that reminds Damon of the cartoons characters he watches when he's bored out of his mind. He strides out of the house whistling, and turns on his heels a second before exiting.

"Oh, by the way, Blondie," he says. "This is payback for forcing me and the witch to talk."

She purposefully turns her back on Stefan, hands planted on her hips. _I hate you so much_, she mouths. Damon's blue eyes sparkle and he mouths back. _You know you love me. _With one last wink in her direction, he swiftly closes the door behind him.

"Where is he going anyway?" Caroline all but barks at Stefan.

The green-eyed Salvatore shrugs.

_This is going to be fun. _

"I didn't ask him to do this," he informs. "But you know Damon."

Caroline shakes her head, deciding that she won't let Damon have his way, this time. She doesn't want to talk to Stefan more than absolutely necessary, and so, she will not.

"I need to get home and fix this," she says dryly, pointing to her hair. "So hurry."

For the time being, Stefan decides it's wise to do as she says. Hopefully the news he has to deliver will put her in a good mood, and thus, make her more accepting of his presence. Maybe, just maybe, in a moment of gratitude, she'll agree to talk.

"It's about Bonnie's dream," he says, earning her undivided attention at once.

She sits in the chair opposite the couch, eyes wide.

"What about it?"

Stefan decides to get straight to the point. He tells her about his research, and with unhidden pride, explains to her how witchcraft is closely linked to celestial events. That much, she already knows, and she rolls her eyes at him.

"Damon said that Abby and Esther talked about 'the rebirth' being the end of the Originals," he clarifies. "And in Bonnie's dream, day turned into night. It just so happens that a total solar eclipse can occur only on a new moon."

"On the rebirth of the moon," she says absent-mindedly, nodding frantically. "Okay, but there have been other eclipses before, why didn't anyone see that massive tree materialize out of nowhere?"

Stefan once again shares his theory, careful to remain focused strictly on the present issue.

"The last eclipse visible from Virginia happened in 1970," he informs. "Klaus has spies _everywhere_, especially here. Imagine that the tree did materialize: someone will have told him, which means all he has to do now is wait until the next eclipse, and burn the tree."

"The witches wouldn't make it that easy for him," she says.

"Exactly. My guess is that the tree needs to be unveiled with a spell. A spell so demanding that only a powerful event like a total eclipse could give a witch enough energy."

Caroline thinks about it for a while, and it makes such sense that she almost jumps into Stefan's arms. She doesn't take time to reflect on the fact that Damon has chosen to let _Stefan _break the news to her. If he is right, then it means they can get rid of the Originals for good. It means that Tyler can come back. It means that Elena and Stefan will be free to fix their relationship. But most of all, it means that everything that's gone wrong – her turning, her father's death, Bonnie's mother – won't have been in vain.

"Please tell me the eclipse is tomorrow," she begs with a pout.

"I wish," Stefan says. "But it's in three months."

Once again, he almost laughs at the look on her face.

"What?" she exclaims. "But what do we do until then? How do we make sure that the Originals don't hurt any of us?"

Stefan takes a deep breath, and tries hard to find a clever way to deflect. That news, he will let Damon break to her.

* * *

><p>When Elijah told him that Alaric Saltzman had Bill Forbes' blood on his hands, but more importantly that everyone was carefully hiding this information from Caroline, Klaus simply refused to believe it. It seemed pure folly that such a defenceless human was to blame for her misery. Even more, that her friends would keep her in the dark about this. And so Klaus asked for proof. For some reason, his brother had no trouble finding one. He simply had him eavesdrop on the "secret meeting" Damon was having with Elena and Alaric. And even then, he had trouble believing his ears.<p>

* * *

><p>Caroline is about to leave the boarding house when Stefan gets in her way. He takes a deep breath and softly grabs her by the shoulders, silently leading her back to the couch. Her eyes widen slightly, and he can't tell whether it's from surprise or fear. She sits back, staring at him, anxiously waiting for him to explain his sudden change of attitude.<p>

"Somebody has to make the first step here," he says nervously. "And since I'm the one who wants forgiveness –"

Caroline lets out a heavy sigh. She was foolish to believe he would let her get away so easily. But if this talk is going to happen, she's going to do the talking.

"Fine, let's talk," she says.

"Thank –"

Stefan is silenced when she raises a hand in the air. She crosses her legs, and her arms, somehow shielding herself from the heartbreaking look on his face. The typical "bitchy Caroline" posture.

"You don't know what it was like," she says accusingly. When you – when you left, Elena was a mess and Damon was a car wreck."

Stefan says nothing for a while, and Caroline takes another deep breath, getting ready for another blow. He knew someone would tell him those things sooner or later; he's ready to hear them and finally accept the responsibility of the hurt he's caused to his ex-girlfriend and brother. It doesn't surprise him that Caroline's so angry. The girl has such a big heart that she cares for everyone.

"I know I hurt them," he finally says in a whisper. "And I'm sorry you had to fix my mess."

A bitter chuckle escapes her lips. She didn't think he was actually _that_ clueless.

"You're an idiot, Stefan," she says to him. "I looked up to you and relied on you – I cared about you."

Her voice breaks just a little with the last sentence, and Stefan's heart aches when he finally puts the pieces back together. Memories from their hunting excursions come back to him, like that time she made fun of his "Tuesday look", or the pride on her face when she managed to beat him in training. He remembers the way she laughed, the many times she scoffed at him, but mostly, he remembers that one time she hugged him so tight that he thought she was going to break his ribcage.

He exhales, waiting until he can trust his voice to be steady again.

"I left you, too," he eventually acknowledges. "And you felt like you weren't allowed to be mad because Damon had lost his brother and Elena, well…."

Caroline rises from the couch and starts pacing nervously around the room, her wet hair blurring her sight from time to time. She doesn't want to talk about this. She's done a very good job at staying in control of her emotions since her father died; she has put all these feelings in figurative box that she's figuratively thrown away and it's like Stefan is holding it right under her nose.

The longer she stays in this room, the less she trusts herself to remain in control. Rage overwhelms her when she looks at him again. This man took her hand and showed her how to be a vampire, how not to be a monster. He promised her he'd never let anything happen to her and she believed him. And then he was gone without a word of goodbye or explanation.

"You're allowed to be mad at me, now," he says softly.

"You just don't get it," she yells, throwing her hands in the air in exasperation. "I don't _want_ to be mad at you for leaving. I can't."

"But you are, anyway," Stefan observes. "And it's okay. I deserve it."

"It's not about that," she sighs, regaining her seated position; this conversation is exhausting her.

"Then what is it?" he asks eagerly. "Talk to me, Caroline."

"Now you wanna talk," she says bitterly. "You haven't said a word to me since you came back! You were too busy being Klaus' bitch and pretending you didn't love Elena anymore and fighting with your brother. You even went to _Bonnie_ for help with the whole coffin thing, but you never bothered to even _talk_ to me."

"I'm so, so sorry."

"You'll have to do better than that, Stefan."

The green-eyed vampire heaves a sigh and holds his head between his hands. This is precisely why he never wanted to stop drinking human blood: the pain he hears in her voice, and the tears that will soon fall – he can't handle being the cause of such heartbreak.

"I've been avoiding you on purpose, Caroline," he confesses. "But I'm done now."

She throws a quizzical glance at him as he swiftly leaves his chair and sits next to her, however at a careful distance. He extends his hand to grab hers firmly. She bites her lip, as her skin remembers the comfort this gesture used to bring her. It also reminds her of Klaus brushing her hand at the restaurant and she wonders what it is with people doing this lately – why it makes her heart melt.

"Why would you avoid me, of all people?" she snorts, trying to hide her emotion.

Stefan internally thanks the Gods that, even though she's trying to be tough, she hasn't removed her hand. He gives a light squeeze to her fingers, relieved that she's still listening.

"When Klaus freed me from his compulsion, I chose the easy way out," he pursues. "I focused on killing him just so I wouldn't have to face everything I had done, and everything I had lost. Elena, Damon and Bonnie saw eye to eye with me, but I know you wouldn't."

Caroline says nothing, still trying to figure out what he's trying to tell her.

"Even though you want Klaus dead for what he did to Tyler, I knew you wouldn't let me bury my head in the sand. I knew the minute you spoke to me, I couldn't hide behind pretences anymore and it scared me."

"Elena tried to make you feel again," she says softly, emotion overwhelming her. "If she failed, there's no way I could have done it."

Stefan smiles at her.

"Remember when I told you about my best friend, Lexi? She was always the one to bring me back from the edge. And you, well, you have filled the void she left."

"But she's your… _Elena._"

Stefan sighs and holds on tighter to her hand. Her lack of self-confidence has always been her worst enemy and Stefan feels terrible that she has once again found a reason to put herself down. Instead of elaborating on Elena, he decides to be a friend and tell her the words she needs to hear in a moment like this.

"You are important, Caroline," he says lovingly. "To me, and your mother. Bonnie and Elena love you so much. Matt had trouble getting over you and Tyler is trying to break a supernatural bond just to be with you. You've managed to become friends with Damon, after everything you two have been through, and even _His Hybrid Highness_ sees everything that's wonderful about you."

She shakes her head at what she thinks is absolute silliness, refusing to even acknowledge that he's just said she's important to Klaus. The atmosphere has changed now; she is no longer hostile to his presence, and she even intertwines their fingers.

"Why is it that you can't see what we see?" he asks rhetorically.

_Because there's not much to see_, she almost answers, but she stops herself in time. This has always been the biggest issue between her and Stefan, and this simple sentence lets her know that he is back to being the friend she used to know. It soothes her heart just a bit, but she still wants to be cautious. She's been through so many things lately that she can't allow him back in until she knows _for sure_ that he won't leave again. And she's determined to push it to the limit.

"Why should I listen to you? You're just … the ghost of my friend," she whispers. "I can't believe anything you say. You said you'd never let anything happen to me and –"

"I know, Care," he whispers. "I know. And I'm sorry."

"How do I know you won't bail on me again?" she pushes. "How can I be sure?"

That's the opportunity Stefan has been waiting for. He doesn't hesitate and seizes it before she takes it back. He takes her other hand, now holding both her hands in his, and waits until her watery blue eyes meet his. For a moment, he does the talking with his green orbs, trying to make her feel how remorseful he is, and just how much he wants to get their friendship back on track.

"You can't be sure," he admits. "But if you find it in your heart to give me another chance, I'll earn your trust. I'll make up for every minute you needed me and I wasn't there. I'll be there whenever you need, for whatever you need. I'll never ask questions, or judge. I'll be the friend you never knew you needed."

He takes a deep breath when he is done talking. Caroline's hands are shaking in his and the tears she's tried so hard to hold back are now rolling onto her cheeks. Those are tears of relief; because in the middle of everyone who's left her one way or another, Stefan came back.

"You don't have to decide just now," he says. "But thank you for listening to what I had to say."

When he tries to let go of her hands, she gives a tight squeeze.

"Baby steps," she offers, her voice constricted by emotion. "It's the best I can do for now."

"It's all I'm asking for," Stefan says.

He hesitates half a second before enclosing her in a tight embrace.

* * *

><p>Elijah has been gone for a while, out to dinner with Rebekah, apparently. Although Klaus would like to enjoy a nice moment with what's left of his family after all these centuries, his mind can't seem to focus on anything else but the town's latest scandal and what he will do about it. He is torn. Torn between what he <em>wants<em> to do and what he _should_ do. That's been his dilemma for as long as he can remember, but tonight is different. Because for once, he actually tries to put someone else first.

_This is about Caroline_, he keeps telling himself when he manages to get his anger under control.

The only reason why he isn't contemplating painful ways to kill Elena is because she will prove useful to him at some point, but more than anything, he is filled with the urge to rip Alaric Saltzman to shreds. He also has a few tasty ideas in store for Damon Salvatore – that two-faced bastard. But that's not what Caroline would want. Because Caroline's heart isn't as cold as his, because she believes in second chances, because that sorry excuse for a human is Elena's almost father, and because she has the nerve to call Damon (_that bloody_ _fucker_) a friend.

So instead of abducting both men, hanging them upside down and bleeding them to death, Klaus decides to "play it cool", just this one. Violence won't be of any help in this situation; what he needs is to be smart. He will light the match, and let the fire spread; he will watch from afar as the flames will ruin everything (read Damon and Caroline's annoying friendship) in their midst. Better yet, he will hold the damsel in distress in his arms. It's with that idea in mind that he drives to the Salvatore boarding house.

He is not surprised to hear Stefan and Caroline having a heart-to-heart in the living room; apparently the blonde has decided to forgive her old friend. Klaus listens in, enjoying the way her crystalline laugh makes him quiver in the distance. He chooses to focus on that and disregard the burning failure that's become of his own friendship with Stefan. That is one chapter of his life that has come to a bitter end.

Klaus and Caroline have not run into each other since their failed date, and he finds himself rather nervous at the thought of being in her presence again. She has made it crystal clear that she can't "give him what he wants", but he hopes that she has had time to reflect on what he told her about her being unfair to him. If not, certainly tonight will make her reconsider.

"Good evening," Klaus says pleasantly as he helps himself in the parlour.

He is pleased to notice that only Stefan and Caroline are there for now. Stefan immediately assumes a defensive position, pushing Caroline behind him until he's assessed whether Klaus' intentions are deadly this time.

"What do you want, Klaus?" the green-eyed Salvatore asks lowly.

The hybrid laughs at the panic in Stefan's eyes. If he has his gossip right, he's off human blood and he is probably regretting this choice right now. Truth be told, Stefan has never been a match for Klaus anyway. It is high time Stefan understood that. And so he takes a few steps towards his old friend, looking him straight in the eye. Stefan's shoulders tense as he pushes Caroline further behind him. When he is a few inches away from Stefan, Klaus cocks his head to the side and smiles brightly at Caroline.

"Fancy meeting you here, love," he says to her with a wink.

The girl lets out a heavy sigh as she pushes Stefan to the side, visibly resigned. He frowns slightly at her messy hair, but mentally congratulates her for giving up on the makeup for today. Her cheeks are just the right shade of light pink and her pretty blue eyes seem to shine with something like amusement when she looks at him.

"You really need to lose some of that stalker attitude, Klaus," she says sternly. "Told you, it's creepy. If you wanted to see me, you could have just asked, like most people do."

"For one, I am not most people," he teases. "And second, however delightful it is to see you, darling, I'm actually here to speak with Damon."

Caroline's eyes darken for a split second, but the emotion is gone before Klaus has time to make sense of it. All anger has vanished and gave way to the usual rush he feels in the young vampire's presence. He wants nothing more than catch her attention, and for some reason he has yet to figure out, it would seem that she's no exception to the rule according to which women are only interested in men who don't want them.

He smirks at her.

"I can make time for you whenever," he points out. "Just ask."

She scoffs indignantly, folding her arms across her chest. As Klaus opens his mouth to tease her a little more, Stefan clears his throat, reminding the Original of his presence. That's also the moment Damon chooses to make his entrance.

"Well, well," Klaus says bitterly. "If it isn't the town's biggest liar."

Damon snorts; if he's surprised to find Klaus here, he doesn't let it show.

"I'll be upstairs," Stefan indicates to his brother. "Caroline, are you coming?"

"I think you'd be wise to follow, love," Klaus advices affectionately. "What I have to say to this one is gentlemen's business."

"Yeah, I don't think so," Caroline says. "I'm staying. He'll tell me anyway."

_At least I tried. She can't hold it against me later._

She seems so sure that somewhere deep inside, Klaus feels sorry for her. Sorry that she's given her trust to the wrong person once again, and sorry that it's someone she despises that will tell her the truth. As for Stefan, he's quickly gone.

Damon strides down the stairs quickly, patting his brother's shoulder when they meet, not upsetting what Klaus guesses is his daily routine. Black button down with the top buttons purposefully neglected, hair skilfully dishevelled, he is the breathing image of charm – no wonder Rebekah has a crush on him. _No wonder Caroline once fell head over heels for him. _

"Is this about you standing up for your sister's virtue?" Damon asks nonchalantly as he pours himself a glass of Bourbon, and one for Caroline as well. "Because I can tell you, she _really _has none."

Klaus laughs and throws a side glance at Caroline who's clearly as disgusted as he is with the idea of Damon and Rebekah copulating. The blonde sips her drink in silence as she takes a seat on the couch. Klaus helps himself and fetches a glass, deliberately acting as if he owned the place. That must be the kind of behaviour that irritates Damon, and Klaus just so happens to _love_ irritating people.

"Rebekah is perfectly capable of handling herself," he informs before sipping his drink. "Speaking of, you should expect retribution for what you did to her very soon."

Damon rolls his eyes, clearly underestimating the power of Rebekah's fury. That's one thing this _child_ has yet to learn: there is nothing like a scorned woman. Klaus smiles to himself, very pleased that Caroline is about to teach him this valuable lesson.

"For the time being, I am here to discuss something else entirely," Klaus pursues. "Caroline, dear, I'd rather you gave us a moment, really."

He is standing next to the couch, on Caroline's left, while Damon is standing on her right. Caught in the middle of these two Alpha males, she doesn't seem anything but deeply amused. There's something different about her, something lighter than last time – Klaus can't identify what it is, but he does like that she doesn't seem so tense in his presence anymore.

"Klaus, dear, I'd rather you didn't stalk me and my friends, really," she fires back. "Unfulfilled wishes," she adds with a dramatic sigh and a shrug.

Damon smiles at her, earning a giggle. The complicity between these two is obviously deeper that Klaus thought it was, and he won't have it any longer.

"Very well," he nods towards Caroline. "After all, this concerns you more than it does me."

Klaus deliberately doesn't answer Caroline's question when she asks what he is talking about. All he does is look Damon straight in the eye, giving him the best glare that he can. He doesn't have to put much effort into it, though – this fool has a blossoming friendship with Caroline, and he's slowly making up with his brother: everything that Klaus wants and doesn't have.

"What do you want, Klaus?" Damon says through his teeth.

Klaus doesn't answer right away, letting the moment build up. Caroline is getting impatient, and from the corner of his eye, he sees her looking between him and Damon as if she were watching a tennis game.

"I'd like to discuss what happened to Bill Forbes," Klaus eventually says. "I'm sure you've made some progress on the identity of his murderer, haven't you, Damon?"

Caroline glares at Klaus, gets to her feet and thus, forces Klaus and Damon to take a step back. Klaus painfully notices that she's standing shoulder to shoulder with Damon. _Not for long._

"I _told_ you I don't want you to talk about my dad," she growls at him. "If this is how you're trying to get me to like you, you should change tactics _right now_."

"It isn't about me, this time, love," Klaus says warily. "Why don't we ask your friend Damon?"

Damon closes his eyes, letting out a heavy sigh. He knew the time would eventually come when he'd need to tell her, but he was planning on doing it much more softly. He was going to go shopping with her, he was going to get her a damn puppy if need be – he was going to tell her when she was ready. Or so he kept telling himself, knowing very well that she'd never be ready to hear something like this. Hell, he wasn't even ready to deal with it himself.

Caroline frowns at Klaus' words and takes a step away from Damon – which equals taking a step towards Klaus, the eldest Salvatore notices. He doesn't _like_ seeing her standing so close to Klaus. It's not so much that it's dangerous, because for some reason, he is positive that the Hybrid will never hurt her, it just … doesn't _feel_ right.

"Damon?" she asks. "What is he talking about?"

"Care, we'll talk about this later," he deflects. "When we're _alone_."

Klaus snorts, struggling not to lose his temper. He's always found himself much more intimidating when quiet; his velvet voice is usually what scares people the most. He strides towards the closest chair and makes himself at home.

"Oh, don't mind me, mate," he drawls. "You do not have the power to forcibly remove me from this uncomfortable chair, and so I will be here until our dear Caroline asks me to leave."

Damon is seething when Klaus throws a wolfish grin at him. In the middle of this, Caroline is completely clueless, feeling like she's watching a game whose rules she doesn't understand. The blonde is getting more nervous by the minute – what does Damon know about her father's death?

"Do you – do you know who stabbed him?" she asks in a tiny, tense voice.

Damon's silence speaks more than his words, Caroline has been around him long enough to interpret it. Her eyes widen as she takes a step towards him and grabs one of his arms.

"Who did it, Damon?" she asks firmly. "Tell me who did this to him!"

"Yes, Damon," Klaus urges, although his voice is devoid of any triumph. "Go on, tell her who you've been protecting."

"Protecting?" Caroline says in a strangled voice.

Klaus can't hold it any longer. He goes to her and puts an arm around her shoulder – she's too busy imagining the worst scenarios to shake him off. She turns to him, her eyes full of tears.

"Who did it?" she asks him in a pleading voice.

It's Klaus' turn to become oblivious to Damon's presence. His jaw tics as he tries to ignore the horrible feeling in his guts – he _hates_ seeing her like this, on the verge of breaking.

"The history teacher," he whispers after a while. "I'm sorry."

What happens in Caroline's head at this precise moment, she doesn't even know. Surprise, anger, sadness and most of all incomprehension. It doesn't make sense that _Alaric_ killed her father. If he did, then she's terribly angry at Damon for keeping this a secret from her. Speaking of, how long has he known about this? How long has he bought her drinks and cracked jokes at her, knowing that the man who took her father from her was playing house with her best friend? Does Stefan know? Does Elena know? Why didn't anybody tell her this before? Why did it have to be _Klaus_, the less trustworthy person she knows?

All of these interrogations bring her back to one thing: her father's lifeless body lying on that bed. She feels her legs starting to give in and wonders if vampires can go into shock.

"I – I need to – go," she chokes.

Klaus nods and begins to lead her away, securing his hold on her.

"Caroline, wait," Damon says, now completely oblivious to Klaus' presence. "I can explain."

The Hybrid stops right in his tracks, turning to Damon with a scornful glare.

"I simply can't think of an insult worthy of you, Damon," Klaus informs in his usual threatening quietness. "You don't deserve her."

"Caroline," Damon insists. "It's not Ric's fault, I promise I can explain it all, if you just –"

The blonde turns to face Damon, and his heart sinks at the tears flooding her face.

"Please, Care," he says softly. "Let me explain."

"Get me out of there," she whispers to Klaus, pressing her body against his.

When Damon tries to take a step towards her, Klaus takes a wicked delight in pushing him off roughly, sending him flying across the nearest wall. Although she distinctly hears the sound of broken bones, Caroline can't bring herself to care – it's like all the emotions she has ever felt have vanished, making room only for the numbness that's slowly taking over her. The only thing she feels is Klaus' right arm around her waist. Mechanically, she holds on to it, feeling like it's the only way she won't be entirely swallowed by darkness.

tbc ...

* * *

><p><strong>AN : Hello, there ! God, my chapters just seem to get longer and longer, I can't help myself. I really wanted to try and write Elijah and I hope I've done the character justice - I wanted him to have a pivotal role and he gave Klaus the "weapon" to tear Caroline away from Damon. Told you I didn't really buy the whole forgiveness thing between Caroline and Alaric. I know some of you have been expecting a Steroline scene, so here it is ! Now, what else? What do you think of my take on the white oak tree thing? More importantly: what do you think will happen next? Please give me love and review review review! Shoot ! - M.**


	6. To Make You Feel My Love

**6. To Make You Feel My Love**

As Klaus leads her to his car, Caroline finds comfort in the silence. Damon's attempted words of explanation have only managed to plunge her further into this spiral of anger and disappointment. She appreciates that her current companion isn't trying to make her talk. She quickly glances at him; his eyes are focused on the road as he drives her home. It makes her feel like she's free to do anything – in this case, cry her eyes out with the whole package: sobs, hiccups and sniffles.

"_The history teacher. I'm sorry."_

Alaric Saltzman killed her father. He plotted and stabbed him to death. Everybody she trusts has carefully hidden this from her. They have lied to her face. And in the middle of this, Klaus offers an apology for something that he hasn't caused – for once.

He silently drives past her house; she thanks him just as silently. She isn't ready to face her mother yet. Not ready to find herself alone in that bedroom of hers, a place where she has so many memories with her father.

Yes, the man despised her vampire nature. He even chained her to a chair and tried to burn the vampire out of her. She isn't likely to forget those endless, painful hours of torture: the screams for mercy, the exhaustion, the coldness in his father's voice as he instructed her to fight the bloodlust.

But he was her father and she loved him with every fibre of her being.

Her goddamned _father_ and none of her so-called friends bothered to tell her who had abruptly ended his life. She's always the last to know about everything. Bonnie confided in Elena about being a witch first. She heard about the vampires only when one of them had killed her. When it came to Klaus, she was let in on the plans only when she was needed. It shouldn't surprise her – she's always kept out of the loop unless absolutely necessary.

But it's different this time. Klaus phrased it perfectly: they have all chosen to _protect Alaric. _From what exactly, she doesn't know. It's not like she has ever given any of them a reason to believe she would snap and seek revenge. So why?

She must have done something wrong. She racks her brain, carefully browsing through her memories.

She was there when Bonnie had her first period and freaked out about it; she comforted her friend like a mother would have, as Abby was nothing more than a name they were careful to avoid back then. She was there for each of Elena's birthdays and got her the best gifts. The three of them had countless sleepovers – Caroline was always the one who offered guidance about which nail polish to apply and how to do their hair if they wanted to look older. She forced Elena to watch every girl movie she owned when her parents died. She cooked lasagne for Bonnie before she took off to spend time with her family after her Grams passed away.

When it turned out that her friends were a magical doppelganger and a witch, Caroline dropped her small-town girl beliefs and dived into this supernatural whirlwind, which led her to be robbed of her future and become a vampire. She has accepted that her hometown was also the home of vampires, werewolves and witches. Hell, she has spent the last weeks working through Damon's emotional walls, while his precious Elena refused to even acknowledge his existence.

She has been a faithful friend through everything. Whatever they needed of her, she did. But no more. She is done being who they want her to be. Done breaking her back to do the right thing for them.

Caroline inhales deeply, wiping away her tears with the back of her hand. Klaus still isn't acknowledging her – she never thought he could be quiet. She turns to the sandy blonde-haired man who's been keeping her company for the last hour or so. They have gone around town at least three times, now. His presence is somehow soothing. Of course, she doesn't forget that he has caused most of the trouble Mystic Falls has gone through, but in this moment, he is, after all, the only one who has bothered to think about her long enough to tell her the truth.

If the others want to gather around Alaric, then so be it. She will leave them to it, and start making her decisions for no other than her damn self.

Starting now.

She clears her throat and brings herself to touch his arm when he reaches to change the gears. The air in the small passenger cell is thick. Klaus tenses, but doesn't say a word. She is very aware that it's the first time she has initiated a physical contact, but she doesn't let go, although she feels like the leather of his jacket burns as if it'd been soaked in vervain. If anything, she holds on tighter. The burn makes her feel something other than numbness.

"I don't want to go home, Klaus," she whispers.

Klaus gives her a side glance.

"Where to, then? My house?"

She doesn't falter; she nods.

"Your wish is my command, sweetheart," he says, a small smile ghosting over his lips.

* * *

><p>All Caroline does is sleep and cry. The pretences are gone – she has no strength left to fight. She let it all in: the sadness, the betrayal, the anger, the confusion.<p>

She hasn't left Klaus' mansion – it's been two weeks. And while he would have called this a fabulous opportunity, Klaus couldn't be more displeased about it. Powerlessness isn't something the Hybrid is used to, but when he drowns into the pool of her eyes and sees nothing but grief, he does wonder what's the point of being a fucking Original Hybrid if there's nothing he can do to heal her.

The lively blonde has been replaced by this gloomy creature who barely feeds, drinks or sleeps. They are very much similar to satellites. They don't communicate, and they exist in their own spaces. The rare moments they come across each other are when he forces her to drink – he brings her only blood bags, B+; also, she stands by his side when he draws. It seems that the scratch of the pencil against the rich parchment soothes her – he notices because her breathing gets even when he draws.

So he draws on. The Eiffel Tower, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Machu Piccu. When she's busy wandering the corridors of the house like a ghost, he hangs them in the guest room that she's made hers, hoping to ignite a desire to see the world. He has already pulled her back from the edge once, on her birthday. He now endeavours to do it again, although it does seem like a more unachievable enterprise this time.

Sometimes, they lock eyes for a long while. Klaus knows that in his eyes, Caroline can see a lot. More than she would want to. More than he would want her to. In his eyes, emotion is alive. There's a sparkle there, something warm and comforting. Like a hand trying to reach out and pull her back from the darkness.

But Klaus knows that she won't accept his hand. He often wonders why she hasn't run back to the safety of her home yet. Why stay? She doesn't talk to him, she doesn't touch him – she barely even looks at him. Surely there must be a reason, and he likes the idea that his sole presence is enough to bring her some sort of comfort. But deep down, he knows better.

Klaus gestures to his new guest to follow him. Never mind that her eyes won't shine for him, per se. He'll be the one because of who she'll want to leave this pain behind her. She'll be thankful to him, for giving her what her heart truly desires.

_This could ruin everything, you fool. _

"Surprise, love," Klaus whispers with a knock on her bedroom door.

Caroline lazily looks up from the book she's been pretending to read and her jaw drops. Several emotions struggle for dominance on her pretty face: astonishment, disbelief, happiness. The weight on Klaus' chest suddenly vanishes – her eyes are sparkling again. It's obvious that she has trouble believing what she's seeing.

"Tyler?" the blondes breathes.

The baby hybrid doesn't react right away. Klaus rolls his eyes and pushes him inside the bedroom, earning a glare from the teenager. He watches from the threshold as Caroline slowly rises to her feet, her eyes locked with Tyler's. She reaches out, her fingers an inch away from him, but her trembling hand stops before the actual contact happens. Tyler takes her hand gently and brings it to his chest to make her realise that he's real. The next second, Tyler's arms enclose Caroline in a tight embrace. He inhales the luscious scent of her blonde mane as she wraps her arms around his broad shoulders, her fingers clutching his dark grey jacket. She exhales deeply. They stare into each other's eyes and Tyler leans in towards her.

Klaus' heart clenches – this is going to be embarrassing. Just as he's taking a step backwards, Caroline's eyes snap open.

"Klaus," she calls. "Wait."

He looks up to her, wondering what has gotten into him. Why get Damon Salvatore out of the way if he was going to bring Tyler back, unsired? His jaw tics when she walks up to his and grabs both his hands. Her skin feels warm against his, and the blue pool of her eyes is threatening to flood her face once again; but those aren't tears of sadness. For a long while, she remains silent, and Klaus allows himself to imagine a thousand words coming from her lips. _I need you. I'm staying. Hold me in your arms. Kiss me. Take me away from here. _

"Thank you," she simply says.

_What did you expect, idiot? You're just as pathetic as Finn. A lovesick fool is what you truly are. _

"Anything for you, love."

Caroline offers him a heartfelt smile before dropping a soft kiss on his cheek. His eyes flutter as her lips linger there a few delicious seconds. He wants to protect when she pulls back and returns to Tyler's side.

"Tyler," Klaus calls nonchalantly, feeling like he has to rain on that parade. "Careful with those fangs of yours. I can't always play the white knight and save the damsel."

The arrogant little prick doesn't answer, simply grabs Caroline's hand and drags her to his stupid polluting car. The next minute, she's gone.

_You've lost her. You've just lost the possibility of her. You'll never see her again._

Klaus walks to the room she slept in to find it empty of the only bag he brought in for her. He smiles when he notices that she's taken the drawings with her. All hope may not be lost yet, after all. Maybe she will come back to him.

In the meantime, he has an urgent matter to attend to.

He strides to the Northern part of the house and doesn't bother to knock on Elijah's door. The brown-eyed Original looks up, visibly curious as the reason for Tyler's return and Caroline's departure. He doesn't mention it however, and simply waits for his brother to announce what he needs of him, this time.

"Have we made any progress on this tree situation?" Klaus asks.

Elijah remains silent.

"Very well, then," Klaus says, nodding his head bitterly. "I think it's time I got my head in this game."

Klaus picks up his phone and happily greets Kol, causing Elijah to smile softly.

* * *

><p>The boarding house is always empty at this hour of the day, and although it makes room for Damon to devote time to his thinking, he finds it unbearable. Since Stefan has decided to reconnect with his inner self and get his cravings under control, he has been spending more and more time alone. Alaric is too busy processing the emergence of his serial killer alter ego, and Elena has decided that, until they could effectively put an end to the Mikaelson dynasty, the best thing she could do was get back to her human life – that meant getting back to school in order to drastically improve her disastrous attendance record. As for Bonnie, well, they are back on speaking terms, but the witch has never been his number one fan.<p>

And Caroline is gone. _With Klaus, no less._

Damon thought it would get better with time, but he is still feeling quite terrible about this. He reminisces about the look of horror on her face when Klaus told her it was Alaric who killed her father. At that precise moment, he saw something breaking inside of her. Something that he wasn't sure could ever be fixed. The next minute, she was walking away with Klaus, of all people.

When they got closer, he was very reluctant to look into it. They just happened to be there for each other in a moment of need, and he liked it just that way. He liked watching dumb movies with her, simply because she never failed to get teary at happy endings. He liked the way she systematically turned to him for advice, whatever the situation. With Caroline, he felt needed – better yet, he felt appreciated. She had a way to nuzzle up against his body when she was miserable that broke his heart and made him feel like he had purpose.

It was the first time in his life that he had experienced anything like this. Stefan, when in his right mind, had never completely understood Damon's dark side, even when they were human. His brother was kind-hearted and selfless; he was driven by the urge to do the right thing. As for Ric, well, they worked perfectly as complementary halves of one whole: Alaric had devoted his life to others, and Damon lived only for himself.

With Caroline, none of that mattered. She didn't try to change him, although she did try to tame his wild side. It was an appreciable change from Katherine, who'd used him for entertainment, and from Elena, who had this ideal of him that he could never live up to. Caroline was the first woman who, having seen him at his worst, had decided to stick around. She was the first woman who had ever taken him for who he was, who he was meant to be.

In the beginning, he didn't think of it that way, but as time went by and she spent more and more time curled up against his body in his bed, he had slowly come to the realization. Surprisingly enough, it didn't bother him. They were in a place of their relationship where they were done pretending it was a casual "thing". They mattered to each other, and Damon had learnt his lessons from the past: struggling against his emotions never led to any good at all. So he embraced his attachment to the spunky blonde.

He foolishly thought she would never leave him. Because, truth be told, this girl needed constant protection. Just like him, she longed to feel valued in someone's eyes and Damon now knows just how much he wants to be that someone. He wants to be there for her. He wants to bring the solar smile on her face.

_Not likely to happen anymore, is it? _

He has once again ruined everything, keeping this secret from her. It was not his intention. She had every right to know, but the way Elena had approached him about this clouded his judgement – once again. With Jeremy, Alaric was all the family Elena had left, and she feared Caroline's reaction, because she knew that, had it been her own father, she would have done everything in her power to retaliate. Damon could relate to that: anyone who had ever laid a finger on Stefan had paid for it. So he assumed that the safest option for Alaric – and for Elena – was to keep Caroline in the dark until he figured out a way to keep her in check. She was still a young vampire; he promised Elena he could handle it. First off, they had to fix Alaric, and only then, he would tell Caroline.

It seemed like the right thing to do. He was protecting Caroline from something that would hurt her. He was protecting Alaric from an untimely death. He was protecting Elena from yet another loss. But it had all blown up right in his face when Klaus walked in, broke the news to Caroline and took her away. _Okay, so technically, she was the one who asked to be taken away. _

Damon shifts uncomfortably in his chair, and sharply drops his glass on the coffee table, shattering it just a little. Damn the silence in this house, he wants to throw things at the wall and set the whole thing on fire. The mere idea that she might be searching for tenderness in Klaus' arms makes him sick to his stomach. And the more he thinks about it, the more he is forced to admit that the identity of "the other man" means very little. It could be Stefan, or Matt, or even that punk-ass Tyler, it'd feel the same.

_That's bullshit. He hates Klaus with everything he has._

Damon would have loved a friend like the Original. They were two birds of a flock – at least they could have been, had they met in other circumstances. Right now, all he can think about is that Klaus outshines everything about him. Strength, speed, determination, sense of humour…Whatever quality he possesses, the Hybrid possesses three times. He takes pride in his witty comebacks, but Klaus is smarter. He has never been a huge fan of books; he has always enjoyed the experience rather than the recount of it. Klaus has the culture that he lacks, and he has that _fucking_ British accent that makes all the girls weak in the knees.

The only thing that Klaus lacks is history with Caroline. Klaus knows her from what he has seen in the past few weeks, and from what his little spies have told him. Damon, on the other hand, has been around her for more than an entire year. He was there when she was elected Miss Mystic Falls, when she started dating that useless Donovan guy and when he left her, when she became a vampire and her mother wouldn't talk to her, when the _dog_ fell in love with her, when she became tougher. He can read her like an open book: he knows how to decode her huffs, her smiles and her tears. They have a history together. It might not be the happiest, but it's still something.

And in the middle of the afternoon, in the cold silence of his house, Damon decides that this will prevail. He will earn Caroline's forgiveness and take her away from Klaus, at any cost. He doesn't know where he wants to take this – Hell, he doesn't even know if he wants to take it anywhere at all – but the only certainty that he has is that he _needs _her, and there's no denying this anymore.

He gets on his feet and heads to his room to grab his jacket, determined to break Klaus' door if he has to. He won't leave until Caroline agrees to talk to him. He's abruptly interrupted in his brooding when Stefan enters the parlour. Damon stops and stares at his brother for a while. Emotion overwhelms him as he is once again forced to acknowledge that Stefan is all he's got left, at the end of the day. The fact that his younger brother is slowly returning to "boring Stefan" couldn't make him any happier, or more proud. However, Stefan's brooding forehead puts a strain on his enthusiasm.

"Oh, brother," Damon sighs. "You come with bad news, I can tell."

Stefan smiles apologetically.

"It's kind of the good news, bad news thing," he says. "Which one first?"

Damon rolls his eyes.

"Let's not ruin your dramatic entrance," he snorts. "Good news first."

"Caroline is no longer held up in Klaus' mansion," Stefan informs. "She came home yesterday. She texted me."

"Why would she text _you?_"

Stefan pauses.

"Maybe because I was the only one beside her who didn't know about Dr Jekyll and M. Hyde?"

Damon barely manages to keep his composure. He deserved that one.

"Okay, spill," he commands. "What's the bad news?"

"She came home yesterday … escorted by Tyler, who's apparently fully unsired."

Damon's lips open to form a sentence, yet nothing comes out. It's like a dozen stakes through his body, like a fire licking his limbs. _You've lost her. You've just lost the possibility of her. You'll never see her again._

"How's that bad news?" he forces himself to ask, in a faux-detached tone.

Stefan gives him a knowing look and doesn't answer that.

* * *

><p>Caroline hears the tires of his car from across the street, and her heart clenches at once. Surprisingly enough, his betrayal is the one that hurts the most. Her two weeks in Klaus' mansion have given her time to gain a little perspective on things, and she has come to understand where Elena was coming from. Had the roles been reversed, she would have done the exact same thing: she would have put her family first. Clearly. Even after her father tortured her, she was still willing to do anything to keep him alive.<p>

As for Bonnie, well, she had probably nothing to do with the decision. It wasn't in her nature to keep secrets, especially not when they involved murderers. However, with the whole Abbygate going on, Caroline could forgive Bonnie for letting Elena handle the situation her way. After so many years, Bonnie finally has the chance to reconnect with her mother, and it makes sense that she should make _this _her priority.

Elena and Bonnie were just looking out for their families and she couldn't really blame them for that, could she? That would make her the biggest hypocrite in the world, and although Caroline Forbes could be called a lot of things, a hypocrite wasn't one of them.

_But what is Damon's excuse?_

Alaric is his friend, okay, but not so long ago, Caroline thought she also qualified. The relationship they had built had driven to believe that she could blindly trust him. How stupid was she? Damon only cares about three people in the world, and she clearly isn't one of those. She knows that what they shared was real; she doesn't even regret it. But when the moment came to make a choice, he went for Elena, all over again, just like he always will. She was delusional to believe otherwise.

She picks up the first magazine she can when she hears his footsteps getting closer to her bedroom. He lets himself him without knocking and she barely looks at him. The familiar smell of his leather jacket hits her nose and she winces – she has found comfort in that smell for a while, but not anymore. All she feels is bitterness and resentment. Memories of their time as friends makes her realize that she hasn't bothered to check up on Abby, Elena or Bonnie. Oh, well.

"Morning, sunshine," he greets her casually as he approaches the bed.

The mattress sinks as he takes a sit and she moves her legs away. He eyes her curiously, but doesn't say anything for a while. The silence is deafening, and she finds herself hoping that the next words coming out of his mouth will be words of apology. Truth be told, she isn't one to hold grudges and she doesn't particularly like to be mad at him.

"Rumour has it your boyfriend's back in town," Damon drops in.

_So much for the apology. _

The blonde refuses to comment on this – she would have to confess that things with Tyler have been more than awkward and that's just something she doesn't want to think about. She sighs heavily and turns a page of the women's magazine.

"What are you, Blondie, five years old?" Damon asks roughly as he stands up. "Let's discuss this like adults. Please?"

She remains silent, baffled at the nerve of this man. She would have devoted a little bit of attention to him if he were at least showing the slightest hint of remorse, or if he had begun his intervention with the words _I'm sorry. _But there he is, Damon Salvatore in all of his moron glory, walking around her bed like he owns the place and believing his charm will help him out of this situation.

"I don't want to see you," she informs him in the best detached voice she can muster.

"I don't wanna see me either, so you know, unfulfilled wishes and all that jazz," he drawls trying to elicit a smile from her, but failing miserably. "We need to talk."

The blonde decides to ignore him until he tires himself and leaves. The technique has proved efficient during her time with Klaus. In the beginning, the Hybrid talked on and on, giving her reasons why she should forgive her friends one minute, trying to talk her into leaving town with him the next. His arguments weren't unheard of course, but she made it her mission not to show it when he got to her. After five days, he had reluctantly given up on the chatting.

Hopefully, the same will go with Damon.

Caroline almost squeals when he suddenly jumps on her bed, landing on all four. His arms and knees are spread on each side of her body, and he slaps the magazine she was reading away from her hands. The sight is quite ridiculous actually, but she's too distracted by his blue eyes looking straight into hers to notice. Not so long ago, those eyes were everything she needed to regain a little serenity.

"I'll wait here until you talk to me," he informs deviously. "I can be very patient."

She eyes his position on the bed with insistence and snorts, sending a very clear message: _as if, Damon. _He picks up the hint and smiles sheepishly.

"Okay, so maybe me invading your private space says otherwise," he concedes. "But I'm just trying to get your attention. Do I need to call you stupid nicknames for you to pay attention, sweetheart?" Damon pushes, forcing a British accent at the end of his sentence.

This time, it's just too much. She puts both her hands on his shoulders and roughly pushes him off the bed. _Of course he would make this about Klaus._ His Alpha male pride was attacked when she decided to shut him out and leave with the other man. How shallow of him.

"You leave Klaus out of this," she growls.

"And you're protective of him now, wow," Damon exclaims as he gets to his feet. "This just keeps getting better and better. Soon enough, you'll be walking down the aisle with one hybrid on each arm, Barbie."

Caroline decides to ignore his insinuations about her possible romantic involvement with Klaus.

"You don't get to make that sort of comments anymore, Damon," she explains coldly. "You lost that right the minute you started lying to my face about – about what happened to my dad."

Her words seem to knock him out a little. He inhales deeply, runs his fingers through his raven black hair and sits back on the bed, careful to leave a distance between them. For a moment, Caroline remembers her talk with Stefan; it felt just the same. A Salvatore brother who had disappointed her, asking for forgiveness. But that's not what it's about now, is it? Damon has too much pride to ask for anything, let alone forgiveness. She already knows that everything he'll do is make excuses for himself.

"Look, Blondie, I had good reasons to do that," he says.

_There it is._

"Don't you always?" she says bitterly. "Save your breath, Damon. I don't want to hear what you have to say."

"You'll hear it anyway", he growls at her. "You have to."

She flips her hair above her shoulder, in that typical "mean girl" way.

"Oh, really? And why is that? After what you did to me, I don't think I owe you anything."

"You owe me at least the billion bottles of Bourbon I downed during the fucking two _weeks_ you spent at Klaus'," he counters. "Damn it, Caroline, two weeks! It's okay that you're pissed, but you can't just disappear like this, especially not with that psycho!"

_Here he goes with the Klaus talk again. _

"For your information, Klaus has been very civil with me," she states. "And, contrary to some people in this room, he always tells the truth, which makes him my favourite person in the world right about now."

The words escape her lips before she has time to stop them. This isn't what she meant, is it? It can't be. Of course, Klaus' blunt honesty (blunter than hers, which is quite the scandal) has proved nothing but comforting over her short time in his company, but he isn't her favourite person in the world. That's Tyler. Or her mother. Or Stefan. But most definitely not Klaus. Can't be.

However, as she sees the flash of hurt through Damon's azure eyes, she doesn't take it back. It hurts him to know she liked Klaus, very well.

"He isn't a liar, and he gave me Tyler back to clean _your_ mess – it'd say he qualifies as a friend more than you do."

Damon silently accepts the insult, and she knows he is struggling to keep his façade of indifference, but she can see it breaking down bit by bit.

"At least I was out of your hair while you and Elena hung out with your buddy the serial killer," she pushes.

Damon nods his head bitterly. The hurt she is seeing in his darkening eyes only pushes her further. She wants to break something inside of him, just like he broke something inside of her. She wants him to feel betrayed and abandoned. The best way she can achieve that is to aim straight for the heart.

"Besides, you knew where to find me," she points out. "Which serves my point: you didn't care so much that I was gone with the big bad Klaus."

Damon's eyes meet hers, and she sees what she's been looking for. Belittling the relationship they had engaged in before the shocking revelation got to him.

"Let's pretend you never said that," he says softly. "You're angry but –"

"I can never forgive you for lying about this, Damon," she says harshly. "No matter what you do, no matter what you say, I'll never forget."

She gets up from the bed, suddenly eager to put some distance between their bodies as she feels her resolve flicker. It's not like her to be so cold and distant, but being a nice girl hasn't got her anything but trouble. She wants to be strong, she wants to be unreachable. She starts pacing around the bed, waiting for Damon's next argument to redeem himself.

But of course, he once again misses on the opportunity.

"You don't seem to have issues forgiving your 'favourite person in the world', even though he tried to kill you and everyone you know, including me, more times than I can actually remember!"

Damon's voice is vibrating with anger, and for a moment, she pauses to ask herself the reason for such fury, before realising that doesn't give a damn. Or rather, that she doesn't _want_ to.

"Klaus saved my life!" she argues, yelling back. "Excuse me if that cuts him some slack."

"I was just trying to protect you," he says almost desperately. "Doesn't that cut _me _some slack?"

Caroline stops pacing and folds her arms across her chest. She is tired of this conversation already – she wants Damon to go, because she wants to hold on to this grudge as a reminder that being who she is simply leads to no good. She doesn't want to forgive him, because it would be like telling him 'Go on, do the most horrible things to me, all you have to do after is show up and be all jealous about that other guy who's having a crush on me'. She forgave him long ago for abusing her and she's not about to let this one go .

"Don't give me that same bullshit you fed Bonnie," Caroline fires at him, in a quiet tone that reminds her of Klaus'. "You did this because your precious Elena asked you to, because all you ever do is care about _Elena_, Damon, and I'm tired of it!"

"It's not true –"

"After everything you and I went through, I was your friend, Damon," Caroline pursues bitterly. "And you don't have so many of those. I thought I could trust you."

Damon gets to his feet, now standing in front of her. She sucks in a breath, unsure of why she let him drag her into this conversation when she meant to ignore him. All she wants is for him to give her one good reason why he did this. One reason and she could learn to live with his mistake. But he stays silent, just looking at her while she refuses to interpret the dozen emotions his eyes try to convey. She breaks eye contact when she feels the tears coming up.

"I'm used to people picking Elena over me, you know," she says with a shaky voice. "But can't you see that she's never going to choose you? She loves you, but she will never be_ in love with you_."

Damon opens his mouth to answer and what happens next takes her completely by surprise.

Grabbing her by the shoulders, Damon roughly pushes her against her bedroom door, and she curses herself for upsetting him. She tends to forget that he's somewhat of a super touchy person. Fear surges through her veins as he looks at her with wild eyes. But then she picks up the dreamy look he's giving her and before she has time to process it, Damon leans down and kisses her. _He kisses her. _

She freezes from head to toe, wishing to push him away, but completely unable to move.

His lips are soft and warm, and the kiss is tender, but slightly hesitant. She can feel his uncertainty, his shaky hands holding on to her sides. Seeing that she doesn't push him away emboldens Damon. He presses against her, her back against the door. His hands gently grasp the back of her head to pull her closer. Caroline feels her own hands clutching at his waist. Maybe the moment lasts a second, a minute or an hour – she couldn't say. But everything about this moment is so gentle and oh-so-confusing that she feels tears rolling onto her cheeks. Probably taking the hint, Damon breaks away from her, breathing hard, and leans his head in the hollow of her shoulder.

"I'm sorry," he whispers.

She doesn't say a word – she wouldn't know what to say. She immediately assumes that he's sorry for kissing her like this and wonders how things got to this. He loves Elena, of course he wouldn't want to kiss _her_. She has been his distraction once already, and she really has no desire to go down that road again. Besides, there's Tyler, who's finally back in town and his lips are the only ones she should be kissing.

"Caroline," Damon's soft voice calls, bringing her back to here and now, caught between his sculpted torso and her bedroom door.

Damon searches her eyes for a moment, his fingers drawing lazy paths on her cheeks. He leans in once more, and as she doesn't do a thing to stop him, seals their lips again, whispering into the kiss.

"I'm sorry I lied," he clarifies. "Won't happen again. Forgive me?"

Caroline wordlessly nods, earning a soft smile from him. As he steps away and leads her away from the door, her breathing is still uneven and she is still trying to process everything that has just happened. A moment ago, they were arguing and she was yelling at him, and now, he's gone and she's panting, struggling to stand on her own two feet because _Damon has kissed her._

**_tbc ..._**

* * *

><p><strong>AN : Both Klaus and Damon have done something to show Caroline they they care about her: which one gets your vote? Klaus bringing Tyler back and unsiring him, or Damon kissing her and leaving without a word of explanation? Which do you think Caroline will value the most? Also .. Tyler is back. Looks like our love triangle has just turned into a love square? What do you think? I thank you for all the reviews, you make me feel appreciated.**

**PS : The whole eclipse thing will be back on next chapter, as well as the Klaus/Bonnie and Alaric/Caroline scene from last episode ! I'm having such a hard time deciding what to include from the canon xo**


	7. Go Harder

**7. Go Harder**

Damon's feeling of satisfaction can't be put into words as he ignites the car to leave Duke. He is looking very forward to getting home and sharing every bit of information he has gathered from Vanessa, but mostly, he only rejoices because in a few weeks, Klaus will be dead. He plans on driving the stake through the hybrid's heart himself, for breaking his brother. For driving Caroline away from him. Speaking of, he hasn't heard from her since the kiss, and although it's no surprise, it's torturing him.

He couldn't explain what went through his mind as he held her against that door. Granted, she had pushed him too far with the Elena comment, but there was something more. The rush of being so close to her after thinking he had lost her to Klaus, possibly. On some unconscious level, he wanted to assert their closeness and he knew no better way – blame it on his lack of skills in matters of the heart.

It's been a long time since he last alternatively grabbed and dropped his phone like a stupid teenager, wondering whether he should give the call or not. He hasn't had the guts to do it. He's too apprehensive of what she might have to say. Too apprehensive that Tyler will pick up the damn phone, as he understands the lovebirds have been busy "reconnecting". The thought makes him want to break things. Literally.

"What are you thinking about?" Elena asks, bringing him out of his reverie.

Damon gives her a side glance. He wasn't exactly pleased when she decided to come along, but after all, she was the one who went down the Lockwood property to take more pictures. Besides, with the whole Alaric thing going on, she said she needed a break from Mystic Falls. He couldn't find it in him to refuse her, so they left town together. He's been keeping the talking to a minimum, but Elena hates silence.

"Caroline," he answers bluntly. "She's really angry."

Elena gives him a bewildered look.

"She has every right to be," she exclaims. "You lied to her, Damon."

Damon gapes at her, having a hard time believing that she, of all people would lecture him about this; after all, he mostly followed her lead on this one. He did this _for her_, and once again, it blew up in _his _face. Although, last time he checked, Caroline still wasn't talking to any of her friends, except for Stefan. _And goddamned Klaus. _The vampire feels his anger rising.

"You know what? Let's leave it at that," he says sternly. "You're being a bitch."

"What is that supposed to mean?" she asks coldly. "I am supposed to be mad at you, not the opposite."

"And why is that, exactly? Oh yeah, because of the collateral damage that ensued from saving your life once again," he snorts. "Well, I have my own reasons for being mad at you, Saint Elena."

The offended sound that escapes her lips is almost comical. Damon internally rolls his eyes: is she really incapable of seeing where she goes wrong, every single time? She prods him with further questions, trying to get answers out of him. He grinds his teeth together in an attempt to calm his temper down. Maybe his judgment is clouded – it's an understatement to say that his emotions have been confused lately. Maybe he shouldn't have such an important conversation with her right now. But his conversation with Caroline has given him a few things to think about. _"She loves you but she will never be in love with you."_

"You wanna talk? Fine, let's talk," he finally says. "How do you feel about me, Elena? Do us both a favour and be honest."

She takes a moment to answer, giving him time to count backwards from twenty to stop himself from pressuring her. Every inch of his body is tense, like always in a defining moment. Although today should be important for very different reasons (they have, after all, found the way to end the Originals), he is now positive that he will never look at Elena the same after they leave this car. And quite honestly, he is okay with it. For some reason, he was blind to the truth before. _Before Caroline happened._

"What does that have to do with anything?"

Damon laughs bitterly.

"We've been dancing around this all summer, and I'm tired of your games," he explains.

"What games?" she argues. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Then it's worse than I thought," he says. "You don't even pay attention. You can't kiss me, then let me kiss you, and then expect me to be fine while you run back to my brother. It's not right."

His mind flashes back to that night on her porch, when she told him the exact same thing. "It's not right". His answer has been: _Oh it's right, just not right now. _Well, maybe it would never be right – the idea has been imposing itself to him lately. Maybe he and Elena are just meant to be one of those star-crossed lovers who can never be together and have to go through Hell before they figure it out. In any case, he's willing to tie things up before they get completely out of control.

"Let's try something easier," he offers ironically. "What's going on with you and Stefan?"

This time, she barely takes time to suck in a breath.

"I never stopped loving Stefan," she states.

"Although he did everything he could to push you away," Damon observes, almost for himself. "Look, I just need you to look me in the eye and tell me what you don't feel anything for me. I need an answer, Elena."

He quickly glances at her and sees her mouth wide open; she's visibly torn, shaking her head. Her nervousness is palpable, and Damon finds himself quite embarrassed as well. He has never been good at talking about feelings.

"I - don't know how I feel," she finally confesses after a while. "You – you are, erm, I just… I don't know, Damon."

"That's all the answer I needed," he says; he makes sure his voice is laced with this unmistakable tone of finality.

She doesn't know how she feels about him, because of her love for Stefan. That hesitation of hers sends quite a powerful message: whatever she might feel for him, it's not love in the romantic sense of it. It might be friendship, it might be lust or a deep affection – but if it were more, she would know. Damon has been watching her struggle with her emotions all summer and now he finally realizes that it's time for him to move on and walk away from this while his heart's still whole.

"I love you enough to let you go," he whispers after a long while. "So please, just for a moment, love me enough to do the same."

Elena doesn't say a word.

* * *

><p>Caroline and Tyler are lying face to face on her bed, their legs tangled as his fingers brush her face. They haven't been speaking much; truth be told, as soon as Stefan let her know that Damon and Elena were heading to Duke together, something snapped inside of her. She can't decide if it's because of the "Damon and Elena" part, or if it's because they're getting closer to finding a way to possibly kill Klaus. Her mind is so terribly troubled that she keeps her thoughts to herself for once, and she can see how much it bothers Tyler.<p>

"Is everything okay, babe?" he whispers. "You look preoccupied."

She imperceptibly flinches at the nickname; it seems to suggest an intimacy that they have definitely lost. When she looks into his eyes now, she still sees the careless and funny guy who literally swept her off her feet in the school's corridor, but she can't seem to erase the image of his devastated face after he bit her.

"It's nothing," she lies. "There's just a lot for me to process these days, with Klaus bringing you back and the whole tree thing, and … you know."

He nods, although he's only half-convinced by her awkward explanation. He leans in to give her a kiss that she returns quickly before smiling at him and rising from the bed.

Fear has become a significant factor in her interactions with Tyler. It's more than she can wrap her head around: whenever he gets a little too close to her, she tenses, wondering if he's going to lose control and bite her again. After all, both Damon's and her bite were to blame on Tyler. And as time goes by, her concern grows: when Klaus is dead, who will be there to save her if Tyler messes up? That certainly explains why she has been keeping her distance with him.

"Yeah, about that," Tyler pursues. "Why were you at his house the other day?"

Caroline inhales sharply. This is one question she was hoping he wouldn't ask. He's been walking on eggshells on the Klaus subject, seeing that his girlfriend – is that what she is? – and his former master seemed to share a connection.

"It's complicated," she sighs. "But I guess it's time you knew the whole story."

The young hybrid sits up, arms folded across his broad chest. He throws a quizzical look at his girlfriend, relieved that she's finally going to open up to him. He's been through Hell and back to break this sire bond, simply to be with her, and yet he failed. The pain of having his bones break several times a day for hours was nothing compared to being here, so close to her, and feeling like she's slipping away. He hasn't broken the sire bond himself, but the result is here: he is back and he is free. Then why is it that things between Caroline and him have so drastically changed? The answer probably lays in the story she's about to tell, and he is impatient to know.

"Tell me," he pushes softly. "Klaus freed me for you. Are you two friends, now?"

She snorts, visibly amused by his simplistic perception of things.

"I guess you could say that," she answers. "I mean, yeah, we talked. He hasn't had many friends in his life, I guess."

"Hardly a surprise," Tyler says bitterly. "Doesn't explain why you were staying at his place."

She heaves a deep sigh and tells the entire story, at least the important parts: Elijah's ultimatum, Abby's forced transition, her little scheme to trick Klaus. And everything that followed: her friendship with Damon, her apology to Klaus, her reconciliation with Stefan. Bonnie's dream, the eclipse coming up. The revelation of Alaric's crimes, her friends' betrayal.

(She carefully leaves out her date with Klaus, the fact that he "fancies" her, and the fact that Damon kissed her. She hasn't had time to make sense of this.)

"And Klaus told you the truth about this," Tyler echoes, looking confused. "And then he took you to his house and took care of you. And then he brought me back to make you feel better."

"Yeah, he did," she says with a small smile. "Apparently, there's more to him than meets the eye."

"You do know that it's Klaus we're talking about, right? He has something in mind. He never does anything just for the sake of it. This is all part of a much bigger plan. Has to be."

_His plan to seduce me, I guess_, she thinks.

"I'm not sure, Tyler," she says, trying her best to deflect. "He's been nothing but nice to me, and asked nothing in return."

"Yeah, well, I don't trust the guy," he insists. "Good thing he'll be dead soon."

She bites her tongue to stop the violent protest that was about to come out of her mouth.

Caroline's phone vibrates loudly, breaking the deafening silence. She silently consults with Tyler before deciding it's okay to pick up when she identifies the caller. On the other end of the line, Stefan's voice tells her that he needs her to watch over Alaric, who's apparently been attacked by Rebekah at the boarding house.

"Seriously, Stefan?" she exclaims. "Where are Damon and Elena? I'm not — "

He doesn't wait for her to elaborate.

"I can't reach Damon and Elena can't be alone with him until he's under control. I need to go help Bonnie figure out which spells could be useful for the eclipse," Stefan explains. "So please, Caroline. Alaric needs to take his herbs or… "

She heaves a deep sigh.

"Or he'll go around and start killing people again," she finished for him. "Fine, I'll go."

Before Stefan has time to thank her, she hangs up on him and throws her phone on the bed. _Where the Hell is Damon when she needs him, seriously? _When Tyler offers to come with her, she politely declines.

"I need to face him alone," she says sadly. "It was going to happen sooner or later."

"Do you want me to wait here?"

She nods; she'll need all the support she can get once she's done with this. She forces herself to kiss him before she leaves, but she's doesn't get lost into it. _Not like she did when it was Damon's lips on hers._

* * *

><p>"Well, look what you caught," Klaus says happily as he finds Damon handing from massive chains in one of the living-rooms.<p>

Rebekah just smiles. She had been waiting for an occasion to give Hell to Damon about the way he slept with her and neglected her afterwards. She couldn't have been more pleased when Klaus asked her to abduct the younger vampire, although her annoyance reached a peak when she understood this had to do with Caroline Forbes, who she considers to be her biggest competition, when it comes to Damon's attention, or Klaus', for that matter.

The two men exchange a look, but Klaus lets nothing show. Instead, his mind travels back to the brief conversation he had with Caroline just the day before. She walked into his mansion, saving him from an argument with Rebekah and Elijah about how to handle the white oak tree situation. He was surprised to see her so soon after Tyler's return. He thought she would be too busy being all lovey-dovey with his main competitor, yet there she was, her eyes having regaining some of that spark he loved so much.

He remembers the first words she said then. _"I can't believe this! Damon kissed me." _Now, that had been a real surprise. He had taken in a deep breath, struggling against his instinct to throw the table across the room. Elijah observed with great interest as Klaus turned to face a troubled Caroline with a polite smile on his face. _"Do you wish me to rip his bloody head off, dear?"_ She'd said no, of course. She obviously had no idea of why she told _him_ that – she just needed to get it out of her system. Then, she asked him to forget all about it, and proceeded to give him a proper thank you for bringing Tyler back. Of course, he didn't forget about it at all.

He pouts at Rebekah; she was more than eager to have a new plaything – she had a history of reacting terribly to rejection. Knowing that Damon kissed Caroline infuriated her as much as it did him.

"If you're trying to bleed him off vervain, don't you think it would be easier to hang him upside down?" Klaus suggests nonchalantly.

Damon rolls his eyes at the obvious pleasure Klaus takes in this. _This must be about Caroline, somehow._

"I'm perfectly capable of inflicting pain, thank you very much," Rebekah snaps haughtily. "You've asked me to take care of this, and this is me doing it."

"Oh, excuse me. It's not like I have any expertise in the matter," Klaus replies dramatically, rolling his eyes.

Damon almost begs Rebekah to put him out of his misery – everything about that man makes him positively furious. To think that Caroline could feel something for him…

"You know, why don't you just leave me be, and go and manage your witch?" Rebekah suggests.

Damon's attention drifts away from the possible relations between Caroline and Klaus for a moment. A witch? Have they found out about the white oak? Are they trying to get their own witch to perform the spell on the D-Day? _He honestly didn't think this day could get any worse. _First, the awkward drive with Elena, then being tied up in the most unpleasant way for no apparent reason, and now this? He sighs.

Klaus decides it's best to let Rebekah have her fun. After all, there's nothing like a scorned woman, is there? She'll make sure Damon suffers, and that perspective alone brings a smile to his lips as he walks out of the room to find "his witch".

Bonnie is sitting in the parlour, frowning at her grimoire. Granted, the way Klaus abducted her from her house this morning could have been gentler, but he had no time to lose. As Finn pointed out earlier, he can't feel the effect of the dagger, but he enjoys having Elijah and Rebekah home.

"Tik tok," he says as he walks in. "I should hear chanting by now."

"I'm still studying the unlinking spell", she informs strongly. "It's not that easy, _especially under duress._"

Klaus marvels at this girl's foolish bravery. He finds her, to say the least, very much entertaining. In their past encounters, Bonnie has made it hard for him and he likes himself a valorous opponent, but he's in no mood to play games today.

"You've been warned," he reminds in a low voice, bending over her. "If you're looking for a way to send for help, I will kill anyone who comes to your rescue."

She heaves a sigh of frustration.

"This is the spell", she concedes as she gets off the couch to install some distance. "I just don't know if I'm strong enough."

Klaus almost wants to laugh at that. What is it with women in this town and underestimating themselves, anyway?

"Then you should have a little more faith in yourself, Bonnie. Your energy helped my mother link us," he points out, facing her glare. "Honestly, I think someone is not trying very hard."

The witch doesn't budge. He inhales deeply, somehow annoyed that he has to resort to strength and _persuasion _once again. Couldn't people make it easy on him, for a change? Couldn't they give him a break from having to be so… evil ?

"Very well," he says, fetching his phone from his pocket.

He dials Kol's number and enthusiastically greets his younger brother. To be quite honest, he's happy that Kol volunteered on that particular mission – Klaus has always had trouble tolerating Kol's impetuous temper. He'd rather have him far, but under control.

"How's the weather up there, in Mile High City? And … how's our _friend_?

Bonnie immediately throws a bad look at him. _There, got ya. _

"May I see him?" he asks.

He gets closer to Bonnie – close enough to whisper in her ear, close enough to make her feel uncomfortable.

"That's Jeremy," he says. "Playing fetch with his new puppy. Isn't that just the most _adorable_ thing you've ever seen?"

He greets his brother goodbye and turns to her once again.

"So, Bonnie, how about that spell?"

She bites her lip to stop the flow of insults that want to rush out her mouth. There is something that both attracts her to and repels her from this man. His aura of power is so intense that, considering how she's been through Hell lately, she finds herself almost envious. It's like nothing can get to him, like he has built an armour plating so thick that every throwback would just leave him cold. But at the same time, it makes her sick to her stomach. The emotionless look in his blue eyes, the coldness of his voice – that's something she never wants to experience.

* * *

><p>Caroline walks into the boarding house, still unsure of how she feels about being in the same room with Alaric. And about possibly running into Damon. She knows for sure that he's back from Duke, since she's had time to talk to Elena before. Stefan assured her that he wasn't home, but you never know with those Salvatores; seems like they can't stand someone being mad at one of them.<p>

She really isn't in a place to talk about that kiss. _One step at a time, Care._

"Hey," she calls when she spots Alaric on the couch. "Heard you had a run-in with Buffy the Vampire."

Alaric exhales loudly.

"Yeah, I'll live," he says, sitting up. "What are you doing here?"

"Checking up on you," she informs. "In case you're…not … you."

She looks intently at him, trying to pick up anything different from the man she's used to. But the inflexions of his voice are just the same, and his general demeanour sends no threat; the only thing that's changed is the look in his eyes. She stops herself from feeling for him. _This is the man who killed your father, Caroline, you can't feel sorry for him. _

"Oh, I'm me," he answers, and she thinks she hears a hint of regret in his voice.

"Well, I guess 'not you' would say that too," she answers, quite amused at the absolute dumbness of this conversation. "Which is why Elena said you had to drink this."

She shows him a bottle of the concoction that Elena gave her when she stopped by her house. Alaric's face contorts in disgust, and he suddenly appears cruelly sleep-deprived. She almost wants to suggest that he should take a nap while she's here, that she'll watch over him. _Do not. _

"I hope it tastes better than it smells," she laughs softly.

"It doesn't," he informs before taking a long gulp of the cure. "Mmmh. That's disgusting."

Caroline senses that he foolishly hopes it'll soothe her to know he's killing his taste buds. It doesn't. If anything, it brings her back to the harsh reality: the man who's just smiled at her has taken her father's life. She has repeated the sentence in her mind a thousand times, and the pain remains the same.

"It's either that or kill people, so…"

She avoids looking at him, and she's curious to see how he's going to react. He has the good sense to lower his gaze, giving her the upper hand on the situation. But what should she say? Should she be honest like she always is and tell him it's taking everything she has not to break his neck?

"Elena told me everything."

He answers with silence once again, completely turning his body away from hers. Caroline feels her blood boil as she takes a seat in a neighbouring chair.

"Caroline," Alaric calls softly; his voice is so filled with sorrow that she doesn't find it in her to yell at him just yet. "I am so sorry. I don't even know what else I can say."

Caroline's jaw tics as she struggles to keep calm. He seems so defenceless, so scared of himself. That's a feeling she knows well; too well. Her first days as a vampire were made only of the constant fear of what she might do, driven by a force she knew nothing of and had no control over. Just for a moment, she lets the compassionate side of her take over.

"Right after I turned into a vampire, I killed someone," she starts. "A stranger. I just – killed him. And what's worse is, I liked it," she admits shamefully.

He averts his eyes once again.

"I have blood on my hands, too," she insists, unsure of where she's going like this. "We all do."

"Yeah, but the blood on my hands in your father's," he argues, almost asking to be punished, hated.

Her undead heart clenches as Bill's face flashes through her mind, giving way to a wave of sadness. She misses him and the possibilities of the relationship they could have built. She misses his patronizing voice and she even misses his stubbornness.

"Yeah, it is," she concedes. "And maybe the guy I killed was someone's father, too. Maybe I'm no better than you. But you killed _my_ father, and that changes things."

Alaric finally looks her to up, sensing the switch in her voice and feeling like he is about to get the punishment he deserves. She refuses to fill the silence for a while, trying her best to phrase her thoughts in the clearest way possible.

"I should take a page from the Elena Gilbert handbook and choose to believe that you can be saved," she begins calmly, although her voice is quivering a little. "But I can't."

"You don't have to explain," he simply says, visibly accepting the punishment.

Caroline hesitates for a moment. She hasn't quite made her point. Her father's death has changed something inside of her; she doesn't let it show, but inside, she's colder, harder. She tries to fight it, she does. She throws radiant smiles and talks too much, in an attempt at reconnecting with who she used to be when she still had a vampire-hating father to argue with. But she can't. _And this is all Alaric's fault. _

"I'm not going to hurt you for Elena's sake, and because this isn't who I am, but should there be a fire here right now, I'd save Damon's bourbon before considering you," she informs coldly, surprising both him and herself with the harshness of her words. "Are we clear?"

Alaric nods his head, seemingly unaffected, but genuinely relieved. _Probably relieved that someone has decided to make him pay for his actions. The actions of his evil alter ego. Whoever_.

"I'll never forgive myself, Caroline," he whispers. "I hope you know that."

"That makes two of us," she says as she gets to from the bookshelves. "I'll never forgive you."

* * *

><p>Bonnie hears a scream from a neighbouring room. A scream in the house of horrors doesn't really qualify as surprising, does it?<p>

"What's that?"

"I wouldn't let it bother you, love," Klaus says dismissively.

Bonnie decides to stand up to him. He needs a witch anyway, and not just any witch. He needs a Bennett, and last she knows, she's the last of the bloodline. Of course, there's still her cousin Lucy, but she hopes it'd take him too long to find her.

"Well it bothers me," she fires back. "_You_ bother me. The way you use people to get what you want? It's _not_ right."

Klaus isn't troubled by her accusations, though. His face turns ice cold.

"You're being emotional, Bonnie," he states. "I understand that things have been rough for you. You know, with your mother leaving. _Again_. It's very sad."

She averts her eyes. He is now standing closer to her, and as usual, she feels her stomach tie into knots, like she fears his monstrousness will rub off on her.

"I can help you find her if you want," he offers. "I have people who can find people. I can bring her back to you."

Her resolve flickers for a second. Why does he know exactly what to say? She'd give anything to have Abby back, of course. The little girl inside of her craves nothing more. When she heard her mother was gone again, leaving nothing behind but a stupid note, her heart was broken once again. Her hopes were thwarted again – working on the garden, having late night talks about boys, going shopping. The deep and the shallow, it was all gone. And now Klaus offers to just bring it back to her, in exchange for a spell? Her family traded for his – sounds like a fair deal. His hand comes to rest on her arm.

"Or if you choose, I can bring parts of her back," he says.

That's what it takes for her to snap back to reality. She can't believe she has let herself be seduced by his empty promises. She breaks away from him with a silent snarl.

"Isn't it obvious that I'm just gonna continue to hurt the people you love until you do the spell?" he asks rhetorically. "Now I know it's in the grimoire, and I know it requires the blood of my siblings so here we are."

He presents her a small box in which four vials of blood are stored. One by one, he tells her who they belong to: Elijah, Rebekah, Kol, Finn. Bonnie internally curses. She thought Finn would at least put up some resistance, seeing as he despised everything about being an immortal. She looks up to Klaus as he vamps in front of her and bites into his hand, letting his blood soil the carpet. Her instinct is to pick up a glass to collect it.

"You're staring, dear," he points out in an impatient voice. "May I ask why?"

Bonnie decides that Klaus isn't the only one who can toy with people's feelings.

"I'm just wondering how Caroline can stand to look at you."

"You'll have to ask her yourself, I guess," he answers darkly.

A shadow of self-consciousness passes through his eyes, taking Bonnie off guard. She heard of Tyler being back of course, but she assumed it was simply one of his usual schemes. But now, seeing as his thoughts seem to wander a thousand miles away from her and their current preoccupation, she thinks she recognizes the signs of genuine affection. There is a chance that Klaus brought Tyler back solely to soothe Caroline's heart. Because he cares for her. She will _not_ allow it.

"Stay away from her, Klaus," she warns. "Or I will find a way to stop you."

Klaus laughs heartily, and it's obvious to her that he knows something she doesn't.

"You might be the only witch able to undo my mother's spell, darling, but you're certainly not the most erudite of all. Even if you do find a way to 'end me', I won't go down without taking at least one of your own with me. That's a promise."

She frowns, trying to process his words, looking for any clue on his face that would give her a hint, but he immediately shuts down.

She wants to keep him in the dark about the white oak tree, her dream and the eclipse coming up. The effect of surprise is their best ally in this tricky situation. As far as he's concerned, they don't even know that the second tree exists, and she intends on keeping it that way until someone drives a stake through his freaking heart.

"So there _is_ another way to kill you," she gloats, congratulating herself on a smart move. "Good to know. I'll start looking as soon as I'm out of here. And that's also a promise."

"Get back to work before Jeremy gets caught in something, say, unfortunate," he smiles.

_Keep smiling, bastard. He who laughs last laughs best._

* * *

><p>As he waits for Caroline to return from the Salvatores, Tyler decides to make himself comfortable. It feels amazing to finally be back in familiar territory; the smells and the sensations are filled with pleasant memories from a time when everything was much simpler.<p>

The freedom he has been experiencing for the past few days can't compare to anything he has ever felt before. When he was human, there was always a weight on his shoulders, something that caused or explained his brutal surges of anger. Then he triggered the werewolf curse, and fell servant to the moon; his bones breaking, his mind going blank, the animal taking over. And then came Klaus, with the status of hybrid: no more transformation, but an unbreakable bond to the very source of evil.

_But now … none of that anymore_. He can still avoid the pain of turning, but he doesn't have to do as Klaus says anymore. He is the only one in control, the captain of his life. He makes his decisions alone, and chooses to make them become reality or not.

For now, everything he wants is to pick up where he left off with Caroline. And just by taking a look around the room, he knows it's going to be quite difficult.

He picks up little hints that the girl who lives here is a tad different from the one he left behind. While he knew Caroline as terribly tidy, there are now items scattered all over the room. Feeling as though this doesn't qualify as violating her privacy, he decides to browse through the many papers on her desk. Grades from school – some of them surprisingly bad – half-completed homework and many, many drafts for letters.

He smiles as he glimpses his name on one of the pieces of paper. Probably letters she wrote during his absence but didn't send for lack of an address. After a moment's hesitation, Tyler decides to pick one of the letters to read: Caroline has always had a romantic side and to be honest, they haven't had time to fully embrace this dimension of their relationship. _A little tenderness can't hurt, can it?_

He unfolds the piece of paper before carefully smoothing it out and lowering his eyes to the actual words. He frowns as he browses through the darkened lines of words. What he reads there properly astounds him. Feeling overwhelmed, he picks up another draft, and another one.

They all begin with the same name: Klaus.

He has trouble believing his eyes, but now that he looks closer, all he sees is his sire: the letters Caroline never sent him, detailing how thankful she is for his own return, how hopeful it makes her that Klaus might actually have a heart underneath it all; several drawing, all made by Klaus, that she's keeping carefully stored.

Tyler feels his world crumble, his anger explode and his heart break. Just five minutes ago, everything was perfect for the first time in months and now he's here, wondering why the Hell Caroline has been keeping a dress and a freaking diamond bracelet from Klaus.

Of course he doesn't want to jump to conclusions, but why would a girl (Caroline the romantic) keep a note asking her to save _him _a dance? Why did they even talk about a dance? Such a heavy burden was placed upon him: how could she be flirting with Klaus while he was out there, putting himself through Hell just so he could be worthy of her?

Tyler feels his chest rise and fall when he hears Caroline coming back from the Salvatores. He manages to sit down at her desk, breathing in and out deeply to get a hold of himself; despite his fury, he knows he can't lose control. She'll run straight to Klaus, once again, if he snaps.

She enters the room with a small smile; one of the sad ones. He hesitates for a second, but decides this cannot wait. These feelings he has need to get out before he lashes out and does something stupid. He has never been the jealous type before; probably because he was never in love before Caroline.

"So, you and Klaus, now?" he asks coldly. "Interesting."

Caroline sits on the bed and kicks off her shoes, wraps her hair in a messy bun. She glances at him with glistening eyes, and he's torn between the urge to wrap her in a tight embrace and the need to start yelling at her.

"They're just stupid drawings," she snaps at him; he's astounded that she has the nerve to be aggressive when _she_ is the one writing letters to Klaus.

He grabs the letters from the desk and throws them at her, his anger exploding like it hasn't in a long time. He almost fears he's going to turn, but can't seem to cool off.

"What about those?" he yells, his voice violently reverberating onto the walls. "What the Hell is going on, Caroline?"

She doesn't even bother to look at the half-written letters. He doesn't see any sign of shame or regret on her face, just faint annoyance. She sits on the bed, slams her head against the headboard and closes her eyes with a heavy sigh.

"I've just spent three hours babysitting the guy who murdered my father, Tyler," she reminds him without opening her eyes. "We're not talking about this right now."

"It's either now or never," he informs coldly. "Your choice."

Her eyes snap open as he nears her with newly taken power. Towering over her, Tyler wonders what happened when he was away. Torturing images flash through his mind: he imagines Klaus touching Caroline, making her spin to the sound of music and pulling her flush against him. The mere idea that she smiled at him makes him nauseous.

"Say something," he commands. "Defend yourself, at least!"

Just as she's about to answer, her phone vibrates on the night stand. Tyler reaches out to pick it up, feeling like he has every right to look through her messages now that she's potentially involved with another man, but she's quicker. Her eyes widen as she stares at the small screen. She inhales deeply, like she always does when she needs to be focused.

"I need to go, Tyler," she whispers. "It's Damon, he's being…I need to go."

"Caroline, if you go now…"

He willingly leaves it to her to make sense of his silence. At this point, he knows her enough to know she'll go anyway, and the last thing he wants is to present her with an ultimatum, but that's just how it comes out and he waits for endless seconds for her to pretend he didn't say anything. _Please don't go. _

"You won't be there when I come back?" she finishes for him. "It's your choice."

She freezes for a second, shakes her head at him, and leaves the room.

* * *

><p>Klaus walks into the empty parlour, grateful for Rebekah's meticulousness. She has made sure not to stain the floorboards, and the plastic is now dark red with Damon's blood; the arrogant young vampire has definitely lost some of his allure. His little sister has brilliantly accomplished her mission, whether it's because of her personal conflict with Damon or simply because she needed to lash out on somebody. Not that it makes much of a difference.<p>

Damon's short has been ripped open, buttons scattered all across the room. Bekah and her knife have engraved the word _wanker _across his pectoral muscles. Klaus can't help but chuckle at her creativity. _She does have a worse temper than mine._

For another minute, he observes the injuries that Damon has suffered over the past few hours, wondering just when Stefan will break the front door to get his brother back. It should be anytime now, and Klaus has a few things he wants to say to Damon's face. His intention was never to end the vampire, although it wouldn't be a great loss; he just wanted to make him suffer. And oh, did he suffer.

Klaus gives a slight slap on Damon's cheek. The other vampire groans and squeezes his eyes shut, probably to convince himself that this is all a bad dream. Klaus rolls his eyes. _Such a coward. _He has to refrain the urge to punch Damon right in the face – something about this one just gets under his skin.

"I have no idea what she sees in you," Klaus observes.

Damon doesn't pretend to ignore what this conversation is all about. Despite the exhaustion and the excruciating pain of having both hands help up above his head by two traps usually designed for animals, he still manages to smirk.

"That's because you don't know a thing about her," he spits.

Klaus glares at Damon, upset that there might be a little truth in this. He hasn't been around Caroline much; she has continually refused to open up to him and it is very likely she never will, now that he's given her Tyler back. Why would she need him? However, he can't let Damon know that. First rule if you want to survive: _never let the enemy smell your fear_.

As he takes a step back to gather himself and assess the situation, Klaus realizes that Damon will start agonising soon: Rebekah has bled him of vervain, but she has also severely drained his life force. Should he stay in this position a little longer, things would get slightly messy.

_Enough of this_. He acted on impulse; the news of Damon kissing Caroline had infuriated him. It isn't like him to be so reckless; certainly, detaining one of her friends out of sheer jealousy doesn't exactly going to make him friend material in her eyes.

_Maybe this will: it was Rebekah who tortured him after all. _

He frees Damon from his chains, eliciting cries of agony from the younger vampire collapsing in his own blood. Klaus watches from a distance as the blue-eyed Salvatore grimaces at the pain tensing every inch of his body, wondering how the Hell things got to this.

"You don't know her as much as you claim to," he says eventually. "Even I know that lying about her father was a mistake."

Damon rolls his eyes, spitting a little blood as he opens his mouth to speak. He doesn't try to stand up anymore, and simply lies there, his shirt damp with half-dried blood, his eyes closed. He barely has enough strength left to talk.

"Caroline and I have history," Damon says blankly. "She forgave me before, and she will this time, too."

Klaus growls low in his throat.

"You manipulated her feelings. You don't deserve her forgiveness," he hisses.

"Blondie doesn't give a fuck what people deserve," Damon whispers. "She just cares too damn much."

_Could that apply to me? _Klaus desperately wants to ask. This situation isn't something he knows how to handle, and so he stays silent for a while, trying hard to neutralize that inexperienced, insecure side of him who longs to be reassured.

"You're obsessed with her, Klaus," Damon continues. "The difference is, I never had to do anything to catch her eye. _She_ was obsessed with _me_."

The Hybrid feels his blood boil, but refuses to give in to such provocation. He knows he isn't the first to set his sights on Caroline; how could it be otherwise? She possesses everything a man in his right man wants in a woman: the beauty, the sense of humour, the intelligence. She's virtually _perfect_; he simply has a hard time accepting that she's perfect for everyone, and not _just for him. _

"Stress on the past tense, mate," Klaus says bitterly as he leans against a wall. "Now you're just lying in a pool of your own blood and the girl wants nothing to do with you anymore. She left _with me_."

"Whatever. None of that matters anymore, anyway."

The bitterness in Damon's voice doesn't go unnoticed, and for a fraction of time, Klaus almost feels sympathetic. Damon's friendship with her was born from loneliness: Tyler's return is a serious liability to him. Of course at the time, it seemed to be the only way to bring Caroline a little joy, but Klaus could have done without another competitor. No matter how hard he tries, or how many times Caroline lets Damon kiss her, it's Tyler who owns her heart, and Klaus is well aware that he's way behind the other two when it comes to her affections.

Once again, he refuses to let Damon sense his fear.

"Jealous of my hybrid, are we?" Klaus teases, although the mere idea of Tyler _with_ Caroline makes his breath itch. "Well, contrary to you, I put her needs and desires before mine."

"Just saying," Damon says with a cough. "Not your smartest move."

"What have _you_ done for her lately? I wonder. Ah, yes. Lies, and more lies," Klaus points out. "She's grateful to me."

Damon snorts, causing the blood flooding his lungs to come out with another cough.

"_Kiss _her is what I did," he gloats. "When was the last time she let you get close enough to do that? I wonder."

Klaus grits his teeth together. It's like a slap across the face; the bite of jealousy once again makes him question his sanity. He has never felt such rage before; not over such a trivial matter. But Caroline changes him; the emotions she wakes up in him change him. And knowing that the insignificant _bastard_ across the room has had the privilege to taste her lips, to hold her in his arms, to whisper sweet nothings into her ear as she fell asleep? More than he can take.

He rises from his corner of the room to give Damon a piece of his mind when the doorbell rings.

"Saved by the bell," Damon mocks. "Looks like someone cares about me after all."

Klaus braces himself for another confrontation with his lost green-eyed friend, but almost gapes at the person standing on the other side of the door. His eyes have the pleasure to find a deliciously upset Caroline, arms folded against her chest, her lips a thin line and her eyes burning holes through him. He immediately regains composure, forgetting about Damon's provocations altogether. He automatically stands a little taller, a smile on his face.

"No one in this town is capable of keeping a secret anymore," he pouts. "Bonnie sucks at it."

He expects a witty comeback, but nothing comes out of her mouth. However, as he looks closer, he can see those little lines around her eyes; the ones that mean trouble – and surprisingly enough, he can feel that her upset-ness has little to do with Damon.

"What's wrong?" he asks, his voice back to its usual low tone. "Tell me."

"It's just Tyler," she growls, visibly frustrated. "He's…jealous. Of _you._ Doesn't make any sense."

She grinds her teeth together, obviously regretting her outburst. He reflects on the meaning of her words: what could possibly make Tyler jealous? Is it that she kept the drawings, or is there something more? Before he can question her further, she snaps at him.

"Seriously, do you _have_ to cause trouble every single day?"

Klaus laughs softly, already enjoying her spunk. Rebekah aside, nobody has ever dared talk to him this way and it makes her all the more appealing to him. When she challenges him so openly, he gets a shiver of anticipation down his spine; sign of his curiosity to find out how far she'll go, how many lines she'll cross to get to him.

"No rest for the wicked, love," he mocks. "Can I help you with something?"

She huffs, positively outraged that he plays dumb with her; Klaus' smile only grows wider. Although he is terribly annoyed that Caroline would come to Damon's rescue, her presence fills him with a warm and fuzzy feeling that he isn't sure he had ever experienced before.

"Has anyone told you how lovely you are when you're angry, Caroline?"

"Stop charming me," she exclaims, shaking her head with an exasperated smile.

"Why? Afraid I might succeed after all?"

She glares at him, letting him know that the flirting has to end here for today. He only cares to remember that she allows, if not encourages, said flirting.

"Klaus, where's Damon?"

"May I ask why you care, sweetheart? Last I checked, you were done with him."

"Just because I'm mad at him doesn't mean I'm going to let you and the She-Devil torture him to death."

"I didn't lay a finger on him," he assures with a smile. "Although I can't say the same for my little sister. How come Elijah gets away with it?"

"He doesn't strike me as the kind to physically torture people just because they've hurt his feelings."

"Again with the _feelings_," he says with a grimace.

"Don't play dumb with me, Klaus," Caroline fires; he's pleasantly surprised to see she has regained her impossibly stubborn temper. "He slept with your sister and never called her back. What I wonder is why you agreed to this?"

He barely managed to stop himself from telling her that he is the one behind this whole thing.

"Is it because I told you he kissed me?" she asks, horrified in advance by his response.

"It may or may not have influenced me," he replies with a playful shrug. "What can I say? Tyler isn't the only one getting all possessive around you, love."

She glares at him once again, reminding him that the flirting is over for the day.

"I can't do this right now," she snaps. "Where is he?"

He gives her an apologetic look and gestures to the parlour.

"Go on, sweetheart," he says. "Save the man who repeatedly violated your trust and will likely do it again."

Caroline snorts at him, flipping her hair above her shoulder in that delightfully royal manner.

"You just don't know me, do you?"

Once again, he gives a careless shrug, holding his hands up in defence.

"Maybe I don't. But maybe I do, and I abducted this one just because I wanted to see you," he offers as only explanation, a mischievous smile dancing across his lips.

Another small victory occurs when she smiles and shakes her head in pure disbelief. He feels like he can almost make her forget that they're talking about torturing the one she calls a friend.

"I miss having you here," he confesses. "But you know what they say. Absence only makes the heart grow fonder."

Caroline rolls her eyes at another straightforward confession of affection. He willingly takes another step towards her, with Damon's words in mind. _When was the last time she let you get close enough to do that? _He watches the perfect curves of her mouth as she breathes in and out, inhaling the delicious scent of her girly perfume. What would it feel like to kiss her? A kiss without commitment would do; Hell, just the brush of her lips.

His right hand cups her cheek, enjoying the soft contact of her creamy skin. He's too lost in his thoughts to notice the clouded gaze she's giving him; it's like he has entered a trance-like state where everything he knows is that she isn't pushing him away. He leans down towards her, his breath slightly erratic, the anticipation causing him to shiver.

Caroline looks into his eyes, silently questioning his attitude. It's not the first time they have been close, but there's something that wasn't here before. Her eyes shine with something new, something he doesn't allow himself to notice. She brings her hand up to meet his, softly caressing his skin.

"Please," she whispers, a millisecond before their lips come into contact. "Don't."

He manages to gather enough willpower to press his lips to the corner of her mouth; she exhales deeply when he takes a step back. The last thing he wants is to pressure her into anything. Their eyes meet and she pursues her lips together. He doesn't say a word, quite positive that his voice will betray the million emotions that are rushing through him at the moment. She clears her throat, breaking the moment.

"You need to stop hurting the people I love, Klaus," she says. "If you want us to be … friends."

"It's in my nature to hurt, sweetheart," he reminds lightly. "But I promise I'll give it some thought."

She offers him a small smile that triggers his own. He nods, leading her to the room where Damon is just about to pass out. She gasps in horror when she discovers her weakened friend.

"Oh my God, Damon," she says as she kneels beside him, oblivious to the blood.

Klaus rolls his eyes at the ridiculous feeling in his chest that makes him want to scream. He watches her handle Damon's body with gentleness, whispering softly to him that she's here and everything is going to be okay now.

"Tell that sister of yours that she'd better not run into me for a while," Caroline growls.

She manages to get Damon onto his feet, and Klaus is quite surprised that the vampire doesn't mention a word of the conversation they've just had. It would make sense for Damon to gloat: Caroline came for him, after all. _Because she cares. _

He remembers that day not so long ago when she walked away from Damon with _his_ arm around her shoulders, and once again, almost feels sorry to have inflicted this pain on Damon. It's the second time that he's forced to watch her walk away with another man, and he honestly doesn't think he can handle a third.

"He'll be fine with a little blood," he informs unnecessarily, just to maintain the connection a little longer. "I'll get Bekah under control as long as he stops messing around with her."

"I really have a lot to be grateful to you about lately," she whispers, adjusting the weight of her body to completely support Damon's.

Klaus gives her a charming grin.

"I'm endeavouring to make myself indispensable to you, sweetheart," he answers, making sure to drop his voice to a breathy tone.

Despite Damon's immediate proximity, for a moment, it's only Klaus and Caroline, drowning in each other's eyes. The Hybrid feels a shiver run down his spine as she scrutinizes him, unable to hide the pleasure she finds in being the centre of his attention. The little distance between the two is literally killing him, so he takes a step back, inviting her out before he does something he might regret. Caroline seems to get the message and steps away, dragging Damon with her.

"You keep trying," she says, rolling her eyes with a smile.

**tbc ...**

* * *

><p><strong>AN : Hey everyone ! Please forgive me; it took forever to write this chapter and I am absolutely not happy with it, but I don't think I can get it right; I just hope you'll bear with me and stick around. What comes next will be better, promise. Anyway, in this chapter, everything takes their game up a notch : Damon's finally realized he needs to let Elena go, Tyler's becoming all jealous (and he doesn't even know about the kiss with Damon yet), Bonnie is more determined than ever to kill Klaus and Caroline, well, poor Caroline is still very confused... Share your thoughts ! Next chapter will focus more on the love triangle and will end with a fantastic game-changer.**

**Oh, I looked for typos but didn't find any. Forgive me if there are some.**


	8. When Love Takes Over

**8. When Love Takes Over**

"_You saved me, Blondie," Damon said as she gently made him sit on his bed._

_She looked down to him, meeting his gaze for the first time since they left the Mikaelson manor. He was a wreck. Not only were there deep lacerations down his chest – she cursed Rebekah incessantly for marking him as a 'wanker' - but his jugular had been attacked as well. Rebekah had driven a stake through his stomach and his hands were nothing but a mass of bloody, torn flesh. She had never seen him so weak; he looked like he could die any moment. She knew it was impossible, what with him being a freaking vampire and her having fed him blood, but still. Her heart was breaking a little more every time she glanced at his mutilated body. _

This is all my fault_, she thought as she stripped him of his damp shirt._

_She turned away to hide the tears in her eyes and walked to the bathroom. Her beige jacket was smeared with blood, his blood. She took it off and let it fall on the floor, wondering if he would mind terribly if she burned it right then and there. She wouldn't ever wear it again anyway. She cleaned her hands and grabbed a few towels, then grabbed the first large bowl she could lay eyes on. She ran hot water in it and carried the whole thing back to the bed. _

"_You saved me," he repeated weakly._

No, I did this to you_._

"_Yeah, well, someone had to," she eventually answered. _

_She started cleaning his chest as gently as she could, making him hiss in pain. She apologized and told him to stay silent while she took care of him. Damon smiled to himself – she wanted to "take care" of him, and he gladly let her. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the soothing feeling of the warm cloth on his skin. Caroline was delicate and he found something almost poetic in this scene. _

_Her mask of carelessness didn't fool him – he'd been around her long enough to feel the nervousness radiating off of her, and he wondered what had changed since they were just friends and spent entire days held up in his room, innocently cuddled on this very bed. _

"_I was expecting Stefan," he teased. "You know, someone with a little more strength and experience?"_

"_I did get you out of there, didn't I?" she snapped. "Seriously Damon, Rebekah almost tore you apart, and you wanna be a smart ass _now_? Can't you just say thank you?"_

"_Nope," he smirked through the pain. "I can think of much better ways to show my gratitude."_

_Caroline bit her lip when she perceived the suggestive inflexion of his voice. Once again, typical Damon. He had opened his eyes again and was staring intently at her. She cursed him in her head. Of course, in a moment like this, when she was on the verge of tears because she couldn't forgive herself for putting him such a deadly situation, _of course_ he would be all smug and seductive. So maybe it was okay that she was suddenly very aware of their proximity. Maybe it wasn't reprehensible that her eyes raked over every exposed inch of his skin. She swallowed the lump in her throat, mentally chastising herself._

"_Damon," she said in a warning tone._

_He tried to laugh but coughed instead, his face contorting with pain. _

"_Okay," he said. "Something else, then. How's that stupid boyfriend of yours? Enjoying being unsired?"_

_Caroline met Damon's eyes and bit her lip again. She was going to say the words; she was going to make it real that she and Tyler had grown apart for good. That another of her relationships had failed because of the supernatural, that someone else had given up on her (although, technically, she made the decision to walk out the door to save Damon)._

"_Tyler and I broke up," she simply said. _

_Damon struggled to remain expressionless as he processed the information. Just an hour ago, he was telling Klaus how stupid it had been to bring Lockwood back and now, the boy wasn't even part of the equation anymore. _

_In Caroline's eyes, he could see that she wasn't nearly as affected as she "should" be. He was curious, but figured it wasn't the best time to comment on it._

"_The son of a bitch left you a voicemail when your father died," he growled. "You don't want a guy like that in your life anyway."_

_She snorted, but didn't object. Damon had many flaws, but at least, he told her face to face that he was sorry for her loss, the night their new friendship started. _

_She decided that the heart to heart had lasted long enough and stood up, but Damon grabbed her hand with the little strength he had left. _

"_You said you were cutting Klaus some slack because he saved your life," he said, catching her off-guard. "You went on a date with him."_

_Caroline heaved a deep sigh. Why were these men constantly monitoring what she did with the others? Klaus was upset that she forgave Damon, Tyler was probably somewhere being all pissed about a stupid drawing, and now Damon was being picky about a diner? Their jealousy was childish, and exhausting, but mostly it forced her to face the many contradictions that shaped her daily life these days._

"_How is that any of your business?" she said distractedly._

"_I saved your life a couple of times," he pointed out. "When Logan Fell abducted you, when Lockwood drove you into a wall, when the werewolves put you in a cage, when your dear Klaus wanted to sacrifice you and when the dog bite me. I can't think of more, but that that should get me at least five dates."_

"_Really? You lie to me about my father's death and now you wanna take me on a date?"_

"_You said you forgave me," he reminded her. "After we _kissed_, remember?"_

_Caroline stayed silent, truly surprised that he would talk about this kiss so freely. When did Damon turn into a mature being, able to discuss emotions without being coerced into it? She sighed. _

_At this point, she might as well say yes. As far as she knew, she and Tyler were done. Nothing was stopping her. Damon was her friend. This would be nothing more than two friends having dinner or whatever. His male ego would finally get over her evening with Klaus, and it'd give her an opportunity to talk about that kiss._

_She knew it meant nothing. But judging by the way he was looking at her, she needed to make sure that he knew it, too. She needed to tell him that she understood: he was just caught in the heat of the moment, desperate for forgiveness and trying to get to her and he was Damon, he put his lips at better use by kissing than by talking. _

"_You know, I will keep asking until you—"_

"_Will you shut up if I say yes?" she cut in._

_Damon simply smirked._

She lied. She said yes to the date, but it's been almost two weeks and she's been doing her very best to avoid the subject. Lucky for her, Damon's been a gentleman enough to drop it. But he gives her this look sometimes, the look that says _I see right through you_ and _We'll talk about that kiss sooner or later and you're not gonna like what I have to say. _

Spending time with him again has been more overwhelming than she thought. He is still the same old Damon, sexual innuendos and smirks on demand to mask his emotions; but _she_ isn't the same. She doesn't look at him the same. And it frightens her more than she could say.

* * *

><p>Next time she sees Klaus, it's outside the Grill, while she's going back to her car after a lonely day drink and a chat with Matt. He's leaning against her Ford with a warm smile, and she suddenly feels the need to yell at him the way he deserves to be yelled at for having Damon abducted and tortured because of a stupid meaningless kiss.<p>

She yells so much that her talk gets nonsensical, but she keeps calling him all sorts of bad names, like a stupid alpha male and a sociopath and she tells him he needs to go to anger management or something. Klaus just laughs and says something along the lines of _If you keep pushing me like this, you'll ruin the sexual tension that's been nicely building up between us, sweetheart,_ and she's so terribly furious that she tries to slap him.

Trouble is, he's an Original and a hybrid, which makes him, like, a million times faster than she is, so before she has time to blink, he has caught her hand and reversed their positions so that he has her pinned against the car. She sucks in a breath as she feels his body pressing into hers, his hands on both sides of her. There are sparks and pointed looks and her insides melt and she wants to die because a remote part of her is actually enjoying this, but she can't understand why.

_This is your enemy. He killed Jenna. He turned Tyler. Do something about it, Caroline. Now._

Still, she doesn't move and Klaus smirks at her as he leans in just a little more. Her nose picks up his virile scent, her eyes notice the little stubble he's been growing and her skin tingles as his hot breath caresses it. She grinds her teeth together and opens her eyes wide to keep them from closing.

She has been attracted to men before, a whole bunch of them. But this is entirely different. This is consuming and violent and she knows that her legs are going to give in in about thirty seconds if he doesn't take a step back. She curls her hands into fists to stop herself from touching him, because this will be like a Pandora box. If she touches him, she's not gonna be able to stop.

"See? So much tension," he whispers in her ear. "At some point, it will have to explode."

And just like that, he's gone, leaving her light-headed and shaking.

* * *

><p><em>Bonnie closed her eyes and waited for the spell to work, for the other witches to provide guidance to her. If they had bothered to let her know how to unveil that tree, certainly they wouldn't leave her alone to figure out the spell. She feared it might be too demanding – there was a precedent. Only this time, she was alone. She foolishly hoped they would agree to empower her once again, for two things: protecting her friends, and revealing the tree.<em>

_Nothing happened for the first ten minutes, although she called on her sisters insistently._

_The dark-skinned teenager sighed. Walking to the drawers in her vast kitchen, she poured herself a cup of herbal tea that she found in Abby's garden. Her grimoire said they would help enhance her awareness of supernatural signs, and possibly make the communication with the other side much easier. She let the liquid burn down her throat, feeling her heart beat increase immediately. A strange feeling made her shiver, and she lied down on the couch, willing herself to sleep. The most powerful messages she had got happened during her sleep, so, why not give it a try?_

_Her intuition was right this time. As soon as she closed her eyes and relaxed enough to enter a phase of light sleep, she found herself seating in what looked very much like a court-room. At least, the idea she had of it. All around her were unfamiliar faces, with the exception of her Grams. She felt herself break down a little as Sheila smiled at her and gave a quick encouraging nod. _

_Esther suddenly materialized out of nowhere, and Bonnie understood. This was a trial. Her fellow witches were mad that she undid Esther's spell. Her heart began to race as she feverishly looked for ways to explain herself._

"_You unlinked my children," Esther said accusingly, confirming her suspicions. "You betrayed us."_

"_I wouldn't have done it if they had given me a choice," Bonnie argued. "He threatened … someone I care about." _

"_A small price to pay for the peace of mankind," Esther objected. "You cannot be emotional, Bonnie."_

_Her emotions were what made her human. Truth be told, she had been tempted more than once to bury them, but she knew it would only have led to more trouble. If she stopped caring, she would let these vampires, werewolves and hybrids deal with their crap themselves and there would be blood. _

_Bonnie felt her skin go on fire with anger. She was tired of all these people telling her how to handle her emotions._

"_Says the woman who created vampires to save her own children," Bonnie retorted. _

_A murmur spread into the small room. All Bonnie heard was disapproval at her insubordination. She quickly glanced at Sheila, who was struggling to hide her smile: her grandmother's eyes were shining with pride. Bonnie felt encouraged to continue._

"_I am sorry, but I won't let my friends get hurt," she said, her voice shaking. "They're all I have left."_

_The atmosphere shifted slightly, and Bonnie suddenly felt overwhelmed by sympathy and warmth. Her sisters understood the losses she had suffered. They would help her make it stop, she was sure. All she had to do was reveal the tree and send the Originals where they belonged: in Hell. _

"_Help me protect them," Bonnie begged. "With a spell, something – anything until the eclipse comes around."_

"_We can't," Esther answered for the collective. "On the day of the eclipse, we will need all the power we can gather to help you unveil the white oak tree. We cannot afford to waste energy in protecting humans."_

"_But isn't it what this is all about?" Bonnie exclaimed. "Killing the Originals to protect defenceless people?"_

"_Your friends aren't defenceless, Bonnie," the Original Witch replied. "They are vampires and hybrids, and humans with rings that let them cheat death."_

_Silence fell as Bonnie processed the older woman's words. They were cruelly true; Matt was the only one who entirely belonged to the world of humans. And he was the least likely to get caught up in messy business – the others would never let him. _

_Even _she_ wasn't completely human. The question popped into her head for the millionth time: who was she, then?_

"_Do you pledge to do whatever it takes to fix my mistake?" Esther pushed. "Do you?"_

_Bonnie took her time to nod slowly. She was determined to end this, break this vicious circle. However, she remembered her last meeting with Klaus, the feeling that he knew something she didn't. She knew this wasn't an empty threat; not Klaus' style._

"_Klaus said something about taking one of us with him if he died," she informed. _

"_You do not need to worry about Niklaus' threats," Esther assured. "Trust us, your sisters, and the world shall be rid of these abominations once and for all. You shall be the instrument of our victory."_

_Bonnie opened her eyes to her living room with the distinct feeling that something wasn't quite right, but she chose to focus only on the bright side: she was going to put an end to Klaus' manoeuvers once and for all. She was going to give Elena a normal life (as normal as possible while being involved with two vampire brothers), and give Jeremy his home back, and give Caroline back to Tyler. Stefan wouldn't have to worry about going over the edge once Klaus would be gone. All would be right in the world. _

_Once the Mikaelsons wouldn't be a problem anymore, she would be able to go back to her normal life and never do magic anymore._

Bonnie sighs as she remembers her mental meeting with the servants of Nature, for the hundredth time. Although she has done it to save Jeremy, she can't help but feel guilty about unlinking the Originals. Doing nothing would have made her a bad friend, a bad ex-girlfriend – a bad person. But does this make her a bad witch?

She has lost sight of who she is. All she ever does is spell and de-spell, provide magical guidance and get caught in business that's not her own. She has lost her normal life, her grandmother, her boyfriend and now her mother, too? All this because she lives in the very real equivalent of Sunnydale. _I shouldn't have laughed at that Willow character._

She's brought back from her brooding when someone snaps their fingers in front of their face. Bonnie turns back to reality; she meets a pair of blue eyes and perfect blonde curls. _What do you want, Care?_ she thinks.

She hasn't been in touch with her friends since Abby left. She hesitates two more seconds before forcing a smile to her lips. _Give her the benefit of the doubt. _Honestly, she could use a shallow conversation with her best friend.

"I know everything in our lives sucks right now and you must want some space but I need a girls' night," Caroline whines. "I need ice cream and a French manicure, and I freaking need _The Notebook_."

The young witch laughs softly. It's like Caroline has read her mind. It warms her heart that for once, she's getting a call from a friend in need of distraction, not from a vampire in need of a spell.

"I'll bring Chinese food and lots of candy."

* * *

><p>Caroline is getting ready to meet Bonnie when there's a knock on the door. She prays to God that it's not Damon – she's having a girls' night precisely to run from him and the significant complications in her life that he represents. She knows for sure that it's not Tyler, because he hasn't been in touch with her since that dreaded night. Elena's probably busy with her murderer of a stepfather, so she wonders who it can possibly be. <em>Let it not be Klaus, because I just … can't.<em>

"A word, please?"

Caroline can't conceal her surprise when she opens the door and comes face to face with none other than Elijah, standing there with his hands in his pockets, ever so charming in the sunlight, a polite smile on his face. She blinks rapidly, wondering why in the world he would show up on her doorstep uninvited.

She hasn't spoken to Klaus since their confusing run-in outside the Grill. Of course, he's made it his mission to run into her repetitively, but their last "conversation" has shaken her. The way she encouraged him to keep fighting for her attention doesn't make sense, but she did tell him to keep trying; it shouldn't surprise her that he is doing exactly that. _Another reason to spend the night locked inside a house where he hasn't been invited_.

"Klaus isn't here," she says nervously.

"I am well aware," Elijah says, never losing his smile. "Would you mind terribly if I took a few minutes of your time? We could go for a walk, if it makes you more comfortable."

Caroline feels her skin flush. Is it so obvious that she has qualms inviting him in? She gives him a shy smile and nods. He steps away from the door to give her some space. Caroline takes a few seconds to inhale and exhale deeply, trying to shake off the feeling that his visit comes with some serious upheaval.

"I have been meaning to have a conversation with you for a while, Ms Forbes," Elijah explains when she meets him outside. "Yet, I could never find the right time."

She gives a quick glance to him, admiring his elegant walk. It's almost like his feet aren't touching the ground; she wonders if she'll be so gracious after a thousand years on the planet. Everything about this man is so absolutely impeccable that he almost looks unreal. _Damn those Mikaelsons. _

She decides she doesn't want to let him have the upper hand on this conversation. She's probably heard what he has to say from every single person she knows, and she endured it because they were her friends, but he means nothing to her. She straightens her posture and stops to face him.

"Let me guess," Caroline snorts. "You want me to stay the Hell away from Klaus."

Elijah gives her a patronizing smile; he isn't really surprised to meet a little aggressiveness. He hasn't been particularly pleasant to her on her visits to the mansion, and Rebekah, well, has behaved like she usually does. As far as Caroline is concerned, all the Mikaelsons, with the notable exception of Klaus, consider her to be a waste of space.

"Quite the opposite, actually," he corrects. "Forgive me for overstepping the boundaries, but I wish to talk to you about persevering in your…interactions with my brother."

Caroline finds herself dumbfounded. _Did he just say that?_

"Wh-what?"

"Your relationship with Klaus is the very best thing that could happen. To him, and to my family as a whole. Do you know how long it's been since he last murdered a human?" he asks, not expecting an answer. "He hasn't killed since the Ball we threw for Esther's return."

_Since the first time they talked. Since he confessed that he fancied her._ _Since the night he offered to take her around the world. _

"What are you saying, exactly?" Caroline asks to evacuate her growing nervousness.

"I am saying that being around you has brought back the brother I once knew. I am not certain you fully realize the implications of this," Elijah says. "What it could mean for you, for him. For Rebekah and I – we could be a family again."

"I think you've overestimating me," she deflects. "I've barely even spent time with him."

"I think you're underestimating yourself. Do you allow me to be brutally honest with you?"

Caroline doesn't want to let him know that she wants everything _but_ his honesty. She doesn't need another person to read more into this than there is. But she's Caroline, and she's stubborn.

"I can handle it," she says challengingly. "I'm the queen of brutal honesty."

Elijah carefully searches her face for any sign of hesitation, amused in advance by the turn this conversation is taking. He now sees why Klaus is so drawn to this young vampire. She has fire, something pure; something that the darkness of being a wretched monster hasn't been able to take away from her. It's in her eyes, in the way she laughs: her warmth is infectious. _Exactly what Niklaus needs. _

"The time you spent with him was enough. Niklaus is in love with you and I think there is a possibility that you might be developing feelings towards him, too."

Caroline feels a lump in her throat as Elijah's eyes scrutinize her. He barely manages to keep his composure as she throws a bewildered look at him. She coughs a little, but straightens her posture to meet his eye.

"I am _not_," she says defensively, absolutely outraged at his confidence and his statement both.

Elijah chuckles softly, visibly amused by her fierce denial.

"Then why do you allow him to come close to you?"

She stays silent.

"Very well," he says, suggesting that her lack of response is eloquent enough. "Then why aren't you embracing the million possibilities he has to offer? Is it because of the other hybrid? Tyler Lockwood."

Caroline decides to stay silent. Damon is the only one who knows about her breakup with Tyler and she intends on keeping it that way. For some reason, it's kept Klaus at a distance somehow – despite his being a maniacal killer, he has some respect for established relationships. _Figures. _

"He is a small town boy," Elijah comments quietly. "He has nothing to offer but a small town life. At best, you will stick together for a few decades, moving from small town to small town, impersonating newlyweds over and over again."

"You don't know anything about my relationship with Tyler," she argues, feeling a lump form in her throat. "You don't know anything about me. Who are you to judge?"

Elijah's face softens as he senses her discomfort. He starts walking again, and Caroline falls into his step without thinking.

"I do not wish to offend you, or belittle M. Lockwood," he explains. "But I have been around the world long enough, dear. I am sure you will be happy with him for a while, but you will realize at some point that you're craving more."

Caroline takes her time to think about it, and wants to throttle the voice inside her head who whispers that he couldn't be more right. Hell, she doesn't even need to play house; Tyler represents a part of her life that belongs in the past. Together, they were trying to hold on to their last remnants of humanity, and she isn't strong enough for that anymore, although she isn't fully embracing her vampire-ness yet.

"Being ancient doesn't mean you know it all," is all she can come up with to object, and Elijah doesn't let it stop him.

"I understand Niklaus is also in competition with Damon Salvatore for your affections," Elijah pursues, never losing his quietness.

"Seriously, Elijah," Caroline grumbles. "I didn't think you were the kind to believe town gossip."

"I only believe what I see," he counters. "And Damon Salvatore has feelings for you."

_She remembers the way Damon crashed his lips to hers, the way he held on to her. The way he never bothers to hide how much it annoys him that she's been on a "date" with Klaus. The way he touches her sometimes. _

"He does not," she lies. "But don't let it stop you. I know you will say your piece no matter what I have to tell you. So go on, explain to me how much better than Damon your brother will be for me. The small town boy argument isn't going to work this time."

Elijah isn't fooled by her mock defensiveness – he knows he has struck a nerve. He makes a mental note to inform Klaus that mentions of Tyler haven't stirred such a violent reaction from her. Hopefully, the conclusion can be drawn that the Salvatore boy is Klaus' only serious competition.

"Dear Caroline," Elijah says. "You need somebody who leads the way instead of being shown. Someone who loves you before you even ask. Forgive me for reminding you, but Damon Salvatore isn't exactly the poster boy for fidelity and reliability. He has hurt you before, and your forgiving him convey the message that he can do it again."

Caroline stops right in her tracks, arms folded across her chest. Elijah turns around to meet her glare, aware that he might have pushed her a little too far this time. He can see in her eyes that his arguments haven't been unheard – even better, that they find an echo in her mind.

She throws her hands up in the air.

"You know what? What I do with Damon isn't any of your business," she exclaims. "Me and your brother aren't even friends! I know that, he knows that, so why don't you?"

"Do you believe I am that blind, Ms Forbes?" he asks, audibly exasperated.

Caroline's eyes widen in astonishment. Elijah notices her immediate change of attitude as she looks down to her feet with a pout. In this moment, she reminds him of his little sister, and that only makes him grow fonder of her.

"I would never lie to you. Ever. At all. I swear. I really don't want to get you upset," she finally says, barely looking at him.

"Don't you, now? Please say more."

Caroline hesitates for a second and decides that this conversation must come to an end. She takes a deep breath, ready to properly vent, and hopefully, annoy Elijah enough for him to leave her alone. She cannot stand here and listen to reasons why she should take off with Klaus, and open her heart to him. _She can't. _She's too afraid she might want to do it, after all. And since she still has a little sanity left, she wonders where the Hell these thoughts and feelings came from.

"Now that I have completely made a fool of myself, I might as well say it: you're one scary dude, Elijah," she explains. "You're _always_ wearing a tux, and you never yell at anyone for anything and everything you say sounds like a freaking Chinese saying! Rebekah and Klaus have the worst temper but you're quiet at every hour of every day! Like, why don't you ever vamp out?"

"Well—"

"Because you're scary and intimidating enough when you're all human and good-looking, that's why," she exclaims. "So, no, I would never lie to you because last time someone did, you trapped them into a cave with Rebekah!"

Elijah's face lightens up with the traces of amusement.

"It was never my intention to…intimidate you," he eventually says. "Please accept my most sincere apology."

"Whatever," she mumbles, with her cheeks on fire. "I'm done listening to you advertising your brother."

"Of course, I cannot guarantee that you will love the life Klaus has to offer," Elijah says. "What I can guarantee however, is that you are kidding yourself if you truly believe that there is nothing between the two of you."

Before she has time to formulate a coherent counter-argument, Elijah grabs her hand and kisses her palm, ever so quietly, but fully aware that he has just dropped a bomb on the young vampire. A bomb he hopes will help bring his brother back for good.

* * *

><p>For some reason that Caroline has trouble processing, her girls' night with Bonnie turns into a sleepover at Elena's house. Bonnie has given Alaric a few magical herbs to keep his dark side under control, and Elena has shipped him to the boarding house so that Caroline wouldn't have to cross his path. The blonde was reluctant at first, what with the whole Damon elephant in the room, but she figured <em>what the hell<em> and went for it. She needed a distraction from every confusing thought Elijah had implanted inside her already chaotic mind.

So far, they have eaten an obscene quantity of marshmallows, cried their eyes out watching _The Notebook_ and drained at least three bottles of wine. It helps that Caroline can hold her liquor now that she's dead, but still – the three of them are quite inebriated, and it feels fucking perfect. There's been a lot of joking, and Youtube videos about how to do French braids, and even a few cigarettes (Elena says _Hey someone's trying to get me killed every two days, a little smoking can't take me down_).

Caroline enjoys this moment; she really does. She can't remember the last time she sat down with these two girls, who used to be the most important people in her life, to simply have a chat about trivial things. They make plans for the summer, assuming they will all be alive until then, and imagine which colour they'll wear at each other's wedding. Hell, they even rehash a few childhood memories.

As Caroline tries her best to commit this moment to memory, she wonders when she stopped treasuring evenings like this. When she gave up on the banality of just being an eighteen-year-old girl with normal friends. She can't even remember the last time her mother grounded her for anything, because she's a damn vampire and whenever she doesn't come home, it's either because someone's trying to kill her or she's too busy hanging out with one of two hybrids.

She heaves a deep sigh and drinks to the loss of everything that used to matter to her. She internally groans as she realizes that Klaus was right, that night. She is no longer bound to human conventions. _Damn him. Damn me. _

She snaps back to "here and now" when Bonnie sighs heavily. Elena is lying on the carpet and contemplating the ceiling like it's the most beautiful thing in the world. Caroline rolls her eyes. Being sober in the company of two drunks is the lamest experience she's had in a while.

"What's wrong, Bon'?" she asks in the bubbliest voice she can muster.

"My love life sucks," Bonnie answers with a sob. "My first boyfriend was Elena's younger _brother_ and he cheated on me with a ghost. I deserve a crown or something."

Caroline laughs as Bonnie takes a long sip of her drink. Elena suddenly sits up, eyes wide.

"What? No!" Elena protests, faking outrage. "I deserve it! Last time I checked, I'm caught between two vampire brothers."

Bonnie giggles, visibly out of her sad mood, shaking her finger in front of Elena's face, mouthing "No, no". Caroline immediately feels herself tense. In this moment, she regrets telling Bonnie about that kiss with Damon. Bonnie has never been the kind of drunk who knew how to keep her mouth shut. _Because Bonnie is a chatty drunk, and this is about to blow up right in my face. _

"You both deserve the crown," Caroline says nervously. "Let's just talk about something else, okay?"

Elena nods, visibly too intoxicated to care about the conversation anyway. However, Bonnie disagrees. She stumbles down to Elena with a smug grin on her face.

_Jesus Christ. _

"Excuse me, miss doppelganger, but your love triangle is null and void. Damon shoved his tongue down _her_ throat not so long ago," Bonnie says, pointing to Caroline. "And Klaus is so obsessed with her that he draws fucking ponies. I say _she_ deserves the crown."

Caroline's eyes widen in horror as she watches Elena process all the information that Bonnie has just given her. The brunette immediately sobers up, putting down her drink and slowly turning to face her. In this precise moment, as Elena's mouth hangs open, Caroline feels like the most horrible person on the planet.

"But wait – we don't even _have _a freaking crown," Bonnie whines, interrupting Caroline's thoughts. "I'm so sorry, Care."

There's a slight shift in the atmosphere as Elena staggers to the other end of the room to turn off the TV. Bonnie finally gives up on the talking, visibly curious about their friend's odd attitude. An incredulous laugh escapes Elena's lips and she runs a hand through her dark hair, pacing around the room.

"Elena—"Caroline starts.

"I don't know how to say this," Elena says, holding her hand in the air, "so I'm just gonna say it."

"You're pissed that Damon kissed her because you're in love with both Salvatores and you're going to embrace the _ménage à trois_ lifestyle?" Bonnie suggests with a drunken giggle.

Caroline's eyes snaps her eyes shut for a second. She's never allowing Bonnie to drink ever again.

"Elena, look, it was nothing, it's just—"

"What the Hell do you think you're doing, befriending Klaus? Are you out of your mind?"

Bonnie drops her glass and sighs. The two friends had agreed not to mention anything to Caroline about her developing "relationship" with Klaus until they knew a little more about it, but obviously, Elena can't help minding other people's business. _Damn that girl's big mouth, _the teenager thinks.

Caroline stares at Elena in awe for a moment. She would have understood reproaches about kissing Damon, because yeah, Elena is under his spell although she will never admit it. She would have accepted being called a terrible friend for letting this guy kiss her, and for enjoying it, and for thinking about it so often.

Hell, she _needed_ someone to remind her of all the reasons why it wasn't right for her to be so close to Damon Salvatore, but of course Elena would go straight for Klaus. Because Damon is nothing to be afraid of – at least when it comes to life and death. _Doesn't mean that he's any less dangerous._

"Elena," Bonnie cuts in. "Can't you see that she's just looking out for us? As long as she spends time with Klaus, he will _never_ risk losing her by hurting one of us."

The blonde's eyes widen slightly. _Why did she never think of it that way? She is protecting the people she loves. Not falling for the bad guy. At all._ She looks at Bonnie with a grateful smile, hoping this will be enough to tame Elena's anger.

"You never know with guys like him," Elena says. "He is a monster, Bonnie!"

Caroline snorts, unable to hold her tongue any longer. She rises from the couch and grabs her purse, willing to put as much distance as she can between her and Elena.

_Note to self: tell Damon that it's Elena he should call Judgey. _

"First off, thank you for ruining a perfectly amazing night, 'Lena," she spits. "I wanted to spend time with Bonnie, but you had to mingle, like you always do. Second, I'm sure you haven't forgotten that you live with the guy who killed my dad, so please, keep your comments to yourself. And then … I remember you calling _Damon _a monster, but now you're upset that he's kissing me instead of you so I'd say your judgment isn't exactly the most reliable. Now I'm outta here."

* * *

><p>After so many years being estranged from his entire family, it could be unsettling to be seating by the fireplace, sipping Cognac with a brother that he had betrayed and killed. It's not. If anything, it feels natural. It feels like old times, except that now, <em>they<em> are old. Bitter old men who have lost all their illusions about life and love, but who're still here to support each other somehow.

This is a moment that Klaus treasures, although he doesn't care to voice it. Having Elijah back isn't something he thought was ever going to happen. It gives him hope – hope that life still may have a few surprises in store for him.

Among his male siblings, Elijah has always been Klaus' favourite. It may be his eloquence, or his unflinching quietness, or his discreet sense of humour, but something about his older brother has always provoked admiration in him. In fact, Klaus thinks it's just because Elijah is everything he wishes he were. After everything, after all these years carrying his other siblings in boxes, there was a reason why Elijah was the last one standing. He was the one Klaus feared the most, because he was the one he loved and admired the most.

While Rebekah perfectly understands that he is an adept of tough love, Elijah continues to address the human in him. The playful, passionate, funny side of him. Being around his brother allows him to reconnect with this long lost identity. It doesn't erase the years they have spent, running from each other and plotting for mutual destruction, but it's a start.

Besides, his irresistible infatuation with Caroline has reinforced their bond. Klaus has finally understood why it matters so much to Elijah that he and Caroline have a chance. It's because she has the key. The key to that human brother that Elijah is trying to resuscitate. Which explains why, after a companionable silence, Klaus seeks his brother's attention.

"I don't know how to play this one game," Klaus admits. "It's been so long."

Elijah nods; it's been a long time for him, too. The last woman he has looked at with so much as desire was Katerina and that didn't exactly end well.

"I understand the codes have changed since our time, yes," he says. "But fear not, the young lady shall come find you, soon."

"May I ask what makes you so sure?"

Klaus senses his brother's hesitation and interprets it for himself: Elijah has spoken to Caroline to sound out her emotions. And he is not trying to talk him out pursuing her. Which means there must be hope. A wave of gratitude overwhelms him as he watches Elijah shrugs carelessly.

"You have never been patient, have you, Niklaus?" Elijah says softly. "Just wait for her."

"I can wait forever," Klaus objects.

"You _cannot_. It's in your nature to rush things," Elijah objects with a teasing smile. "And yet, you have eternity ahead of you."

"What I have," Klaus growls in frustration," is one vampire and one hybrid to compete with."

"I wouldn't be too concerned about the hybrid," Elijah informs. 'It'll be harder to distract her from the Salvatore boy."

Klaus is about to answer in the form of a growl when a sound from afar catches his attention. Elijah simply smiles when he identifies it. The sound of _her_ steps walking towards the door. She sounds furious – Klaus wonders what she'll blame him for this time, and finds himself looking forward to it. The last time she yelled at him will forever remain one of his favourite memories.

"Seems like everything's coming together nicely," Elijah comments, a satisfied smile curling his lips. "You should get the door before Bekah does."

Klaus gives a side glance to his brother, puts down his glass and rushes to the door. He forces himself to adopt a smug expression, as if he'd been expecting her, before opening the door.

There she stands – and man, does she look pissed. Her adorable face is deformed by a deep frown line and she's tapping her foot on the doormat. He can smell that she's been drinking, but it's obvious that she isn't drunk at all. Although one might wonder, seeing as she's wearing her pyjamas.

"Good evening, love," he says charmingly. "I love whatever it is you've done to your hair."

"I _straightened_ them," she says. "Can I come in?"

He steps aside to let her come inside, baffled that she hasn't thrown an insult at him, yet.

"Bonnie has a big mouth," she grumbles. "And Elena is pissed that Damon kissed me, but she decided it was safer to blame me for 'befriending' you, which I never did. Not to mention that Tyler broke up with me because I kept your stupid drawings and that Damon's trying to extort a date out of me because I went on one with you."

Klaus laughs softly at her unexpected explanation. Based on what she's just told him, there is not a single valuable reason why she's standing in his lobby, but for now, it matters little. She is no longer involved with Tyler Lockwood. She has kept his drawings. She is annoyed with her friends, and she is here.

"Aren't you worried that coming here will only make things worse?" he asks, against his better judgment; he doesn't _really_ want to get her into more trouble than he already has.

"I might as well give them something to be pissed about," she says with a shrug.

"How immature of you," he mocks. "And offending. Here I was, thinking you were longing for my company."

She shoots him a funny look before offering him a small smile.

"I'm here, aren't I?"

It's the first time she's spoken so softly to him. So quietly, almost tenderly – like she's afraid she might have hurt his feelings by showing up when she had no one else to turn to. But on the contrary, the fact that she chooses to spend time with him instead of being alone means more than she can imagine. It means there's hope and for now, that's all he asks for.

"You are," he says. "So I guess this is a sleepover?"

He gestures to her pink and grey pyjamas with a raised eyebrow. Caroline bites her lips in embarrassment – and Klaus thinks he just might _faint_ – and shrugs.

"I guess."

As Klaus leads the way upstairs, Elijah comes out and his smile widens when his gaze meets Caroline. The brown-eyed Original nods respectfully to the girl, but doesn't say a word. Klaus mouths an awkward _thank you_ to his brother before whisking Caroline away; but she doesn't need him. She absent-mindedly heads to the room she used to occupy when he welcomed her.

"You know, I would appreciate seeing you when you're a little less furious and disappointed" he says as she lets herself collapse on the bed. "Maybe I should invite you to dinner again."

"I don't want to talk," she whispers. "Please."

"Then why are you here?" he pushes.

"I can leave," she fires back. "If you can't shut up, I'll go."

Klaus chuckles softly. This is the Caroline he likes; the one he misses so much that it's embarrassing. Despite her angry eyes, she is still full of light and her presence is enough to lighten his mood. He understands that she came here to be quiet, left alone, far away from the petty reproaches of her petty friends. He remembers Elijah's advice to be patient, and decides to consider this as a start. It's the second time that she's run to him for shelter – there will be a third. _And a fourth, and a fifth…_

"Very well, darling," he says. "I'll leave you to your brooding, then."

Just as he steps backwards to head out, Caroline sits up.

"Stay," she commands shyly. "But no talking."

Klaus runs his tongue over his teeth. _I can think of much funnier ways to occupy my time with you and a bed than talking_, he almost says. Luckily, he doesn't. A: he isn't ready for that, even if he wants it more than words can say. B: he doesn't want her to believe that he's like those other men.

"Of course," he answers lightly. "I suppose this is why they invented sofas."

"No," Caroline says, causing him to frown. "Here."

Klaus swallows when she shifts her weight on the bed to make room for him.

**tbc ... **

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So I've had a crappy day and was told to go kick some ass. I hope I achieved it with this chapter. Tell me everything : what about Damon's invitation to Caroline? Bonnie's dream and quest for identity? The girls' sleepover aaand ... how did y'all like Elijah in this chapter? I wasn't planning to have him around so much but I just love him playing Cupid. Share your thoughts, people, you know I love you for it. - M.**


	9. The Regretful and the Guilty

**9. The Regretful and the Guilty**

Guilt is regret for what you've done; regret is guilt for what you didn't do. As weeks go by, Caroline realizes that she's become all too familiar with these two notions. They're fighting over her head, duelling for dominance every hour of every day. And it's like she can't take a step without being eaten up by one or the other feeling. Guilt is usually associated with Klaus, and regret with Damon. But sometimes, she regrets enjoying Klaus' company so much, and feels guilty about letting things with Damon get so far …

* * *

><p><em>As she shifted her weight on the bed to make room for him, Klaus blinked furiously: she had taken him completely off-guard. Truth be told, she had caught herself off-guard with this unexpected invitation as well. The words had simply come out before she had time to process their implication, and then it was too late. The evanescence of sound was irreversible like that: when you say the words, there's no way to hold on to them, no way to take them back. These words were out, they had reached their addressee and now she was staring at him expectantly, feeling her heart pounding in her chest.<em>

_During the very long seconds when Klaus simply stood there, Caroline considered her options. She could easily scoff and flip her hair and go for something like "You thought I was serious? Get out!" but then again, she was in _his _house, so he could throw her out. Besides, she didn't want to give him the impression that she was toying with him. Because she wasn't. Then she thought, she could simply get to her damn feet and walk out before he had time to process what she'd said. It would be a coward move, but it would spare her the trouble of having to explain herself._

_However, her thoughts were interrupted when he silently slid into bed with her. No questions asked, just like last time they found themselves in a situation when she needed shelter and sought it from him. As she felt his muscular arm slide around her shoulders, a tension she didn't know was there eased. Even more, a thrill of excitement ran down her spine. _

_She was breaking all the rules. _

_First, those of the vampires: she was lying in bed with a werewolf who had centuries on her; who could break her neck in half a second, or sink his fangs into her skin and drive her to a slow and painful death. Those of friendship then, with her head resting on his chest, rising and falling with the rhythm of his breathing while he had spent his first weeks in town wreaking havoc on the life of everyone. Her own rules finally, which prevented her from showing herself in a vulnerable place to someone who might take advantage of it. _

_Yes, she was breaking every single rule she could think about, but instead of being appalled by her behaviour, she felt amazingly reckless. _

_The heat radiating off of Klaus was comforting. His strong arms were wrapped around her, securing her into a tight embrace that would have made her feel uncomfortable if it wasn't so soothing. She felt like she was having a moment to simply _be_ for the first time in a long while. She was there because she had chosen to, even though the reason was still a mystery to her. _

"_Klaus?" she called softly, reluctant to break the soothing silence. "Are you asleep?"_

"_No," he answered. "What's the matter, love?"_

_Klaus frowned as she looked up to him, her chin digging into his ribcage. If he felt uncomfortable with her in this position, he let nothing show. Klaus simply plastered a pleasant smile on his face and waited for her to answer. _

_Caroline looked into his eyes, trying to see something there that might enlighten her as to why she had come to him tonight. But deep down, she knew. Bonnie's unsubtle allusion to a possible love triangle had raised questions inside of her. Was she really caught in the middle of these two men? _

_She didn't know how she felt about Damon, much less about the kiss they shared. But she was Caroline Forbes, and she watched _The Bachelor_, so she knew she had to give each suitor the same opportunities. She needed to experience the same things with both in order to find out if she was attracted to one of them, both or neither._

_Caroline paused, trying hard to cooperate with the little voice inside her head that was screaming, but she couldn't. She was tired. Tired of struggling against the things Klaus stirred inside of her, of trying to make sense of them. In this moment, she almost felt clairvoyant and decided that the only way to know for sure what she was feeling was to _do something about it, already. _She inhaled deeply as she realized what she was about to do. A shiver of anticipation made her swallow. _

_The house was perfectly silent, and Caroline wondered where Elijah and Rebekah had taken off to. Seeing as Elijah was such a fan of the unborn romance between she and Klaus, he had probably whisked his sister out for the evening. _

"_Are we back to not talking?" he pushed with a smile._

_All Caroline could do was shaking her head. The smile faded from his lips as one of her legs moved in between his own and she swiftly moved so that she was on top of him._

"_Caroline," he breathed. "What are you doing?"_

"_I think I am going to kiss you," she whispered. _

_Klaus took a deep intake of air. These words were his worst nightmare and his most beautiful dream at the same time. For a long time, he had felt like the Beast of the fairy tale, rendered repulsive to any woman who knew who he was and what he had done. Since he'd met Caroline, he had been convincing himself that true love's kiss would break the real curse that was binding him. _

_But this was no fairy tale. This was not true love's kiss. This was Caroline being upset with her friends and what had become of her life, acting foolishly simply to feel something different. He wasn't blaming her – not at all – but he could not let her go down this road. _

_He knew all too well what would happen next: if she kissed him right now, he wouldn't be able to hold back. He would want to take things further, and chances were she would give in to him. But the next day, she would wake up on the right side of the wrong bed and regret this night until the end of time. He didn't want this for her. Hell, he didn't want this for him either. _

"_You don't want to do that," he simply said. _

"_Do I look hesitant?" she replied._

"_What if I don't want you to?"_

_Caroline froze, her lips inches from his, her breath tickling his face. As he looked into her eyes, Klaus perceived that she felt rejected. He inwardly cursed himself. For some reason that was truly beyond him, that _goddess_ didn't see herself as beautiful and he had just confirmed her into thinking so. He needed to fix this. _

"_Did – did you just," she stammered. "Did you just _reject _me? After the "that tension has to explode" speech?"_

"_I'm not pushing you away. I'm just saying: not now."_

_Caroline rose from the bed, and he couldn't help but notice how heavy he felt with the weight of her body gone. It made no sense, he told himself, but it was true. She looked positively furious. _

"_Well, that's too bad," she spat. "Because this was the best you were ever gonna get, Klaus."_

"_Your body matters little to me, Caroline," he explained quietly, oblivious to the way she was probably going to interpret his words. _

"_Now you're calling me unattractive?"_

_Klaus snorted as he sat up; the atmosphere in the room had completely shifted. The serenity had vanished, replaced by the vibes of Caroline's growing anger. She had significantly raised her voice, and Klaus mentally thanked Elijah for being out with Rebekah. His little sister would _never_ leave him alone if she heard that. She'd make fun of him endlessly for having a couple fight with a girl that wasn't even _his_ girl. _

"_You have no idea of how much I want you, Caroline," he growled. "I desire you. I do."_

"_Then what are you waiting for?" she yelled back. _

_Using vampire speed, she closed the small distance between them and Klaus' jaw ticked when she straddled his lap. He had rarely met a woman so stubborn – Rebekah aside. She was severely testing his self-control, but more importantly, he felt himself growing just as angry as she was. He hated being put on the spot and their current position was incredibly awkward. _

"_Here, now," she pressed._

_Klaus' hands travelled up her arms to her shoulders, and stopped on her neck. His hands felt warm against her skin because she was still a young vampire. In a few months, she wouldn't feel warmth or cold anymore. She closed her eyes, enjoying the sensation, but it stopped abruptly._

"_No," he said firmly. "Not like this."_

_Her delicate hands roughly shoved him away. He sighed. Was it so hard for her to understand that he didn't want to jump into this? He grabbed her wrists to stop her from getting away._

"_Don't you want this to mean something?" he said, hoping to talk some sense into her. _

_She snorted._

"_So you're that guy, uh?" she said scornfully. "The guy who needs to be _in_ love to make love?"_

_The answer to that would be a yes. He didn't understand kids these days: they indulged in sharing a bed with people they barely knew. Sex, in his old-fashioned mind, had to be the expression of something other than the primal quest for pleasure. Something like how he felt towards Caroline._

"_If … _when_ we become intimate, it will be because you truly want it," he said. "I want it to be perfect."_

_A little voice in Caroline's head was telling her that she should appreciate that. He was being a gentleman, and that was something she usually liked about him. But not tonight. Tonight she wanted to forget about everything else and give in to her impulses. _

"_What, do you want butterflies and fireworks as well?"_

_Klaus let go of her hands and moved to push her aside. _

"_You're being childish," Klaus remarked. "I will not have this conversation with you until you've come to your senses. You should leave."_

_Caroline nodded her head bitterly. She hadn't felt so low in a very long time. She had just thrown herself at Klaus, and he had turned her down. She had acted on impulse for the first time in a while and it had led to _this_. A complete fiasco. But she refused to let it bring her down. She was well aware that, the morning after, she would be grateful to him for being sensible, but for now, the rejection just burned. So she held back the tears and decided to hurt him back._

"_You know, it's not the hybrid in you that I hate, Klaus," she said calmly. "It's what you've shown me tonight. What's left of the human."_

_Klaus didn't seem affected by her words, because she was right. Tonight, Caroline was reaching out to the man behind the Original Hybrid. A man who hadn't slept with anyone in centuries, having been too focused on plotting and scheming, living only to break Esther's curse. A man who had no idea of how to touch a woman anymore. His hands would shake, he would be clumsy. He may even hurt her. _

_Judging by his lack of reaction, Caroline almost blamed herself for not being meaner. He shook his head at her, walked to the sofa and grabbed her jacket before handing it out to her. She snatched it away from his hands before he had time to lay it on her shoulders, like she knew he was going to._

"_You obviously know nothing about the man I really am."_

The day after that incident, she went back to him and apologized for making him uncomfortable. She considered never talking to him again, but Mystic Falls was a small town and their lives were so intimately intertwined that she couldn't seriously avoid him forever.

So she made the first step, and offered him friendship. Because friendship was all she had to give, and he would have to satisfy himself with that, otherwise she would never speak to him again. She made it very clear that he should expect nothing more. For some reason, she was relieved when he agreed to do things her way. They would be friends.

And so, they are.

It's not something she's trying to hide anymore, although her _other _friends still believe she has become involved with him solely to protect them from his unpredictable mood swings and various schemes.

Sometimes, she tells him that his eyes are _way_ too blue to be honest, and that he behaves like a caveman. Sometimes, she rolls her eyes at the way his thick accent makes her shiver and she wants to punch him in the face for it. She'd rather die than admit it to anyone, but it's becoming easier and easier to forget that Klaus has blood on his hands.

When the others only see violence, plotting and craziness, she sees something entirely different.

She's slowly beginning to put the pieces back together, to understand the man he really is. Every time they meet, he tells her a little bit about himself, on the condition that she reveals herself as well. And having been told the entire story, she does wonder if anyone can really blame him for anything. Is a man whose two parents tried to kill him really responsible for becoming a cold-blooded killer? What he needs, she figures, is a good shrink, not a witch.

But it doesn't matter how much she gets to know him, or to appreciate him. Klaus is never going to be an option for her, and neither is the world. She's a small town girl with a small town life, but for as long as it lasts, she likes to listen to him describe how beautiful she'd look in the Trevi fountain or at the top of the _Arc de Triomphe_. She lets him tell her about the strange things they'd eat in Africa, and before she goes to sleep, she tries to imagine that she's fluent in all of the ten languages he can speak.

She'll forever feel guilty for not wanting him to be different, and for not being able to really give him a chance. But she's learning to live with that.

What she can't live with, however, is the overwhelming regret that's associated with Damon…

* * *

><p><em>Caroline kept wondering how he had managed to get her to agree to this. A date with Damon was probably the last thing she needed at this point. She figured he had come to the same conclusion, since he should have been there an hour ago. <em>

_She hated waiting, and even more being stood up, but for once in her life, she didn't pick up her phone to yell at him. She understood why he didn't show up. She was Caroline, she was one of Elena's best friends and no matter the feelings he thought he had for her, they couldn't mess with the status quo just like that._

_With that in mind, she took off the ridiculously pretty dress she had picked and decided to have a bath. She liked nothing more than lukewarm water and some heartfelt songs to relax. She let herself be lulled to sleep by some Adele songs, and when she found all the bubbles of the bath had vanished, she figured it was time to get out and check if Damon had at least had the decency to send an apology text. _

_She couldn't explain how this resulted in Damon popping up in her bathroom._

"_For the love of God, Damon," she exclaimed as she hugged her arms around herself tightly, trying to hide as much skin as she could. "What is wrong with you?"_

_This was totally her fault. She'd been dancing around her bathroom for ten minutes, her iPod's headphones blasting in her ears to the Black Eyed Peas to lighten up her mood, which explains why she didn't hear him come in, but which didn't account for the freaked out look on his face. She pulled out her headphones, turned the iPod off and stared at him, expecting an explanation. _

_In the meantime, she noticed just how handsome he looked – dark blue button down with the top buttons left undone, raven hair adroitly dishevelled, the smell of his expensive cologne hitting her nose. She internally gloated: he had made quite an effort for her. Not that he usually looked plain. _

"_Do you _have to_ have your headphones on?" he yelled. "What if it had been a vampire, or a freaking werewolf?"_

_She frowned, wondering why he would be so concerned about her. She was a damn vampire, she could handle herself just fine. For some reason, it irritated her that Damon always wanted to protect her. Did he see her only as a way to stroke his ego, by repeatedly saving her? She folded her arms across her chest, cocking her head to the side. The other vampire heaved a sigh._

"_First, no vampire has ever been invited in my house," she objected. "Except for you, Tyler, Stefan and Klaus, and I don't think they're going to hurt me. Second, there are no werewolves in town. And third, jeez, relax," she said. "I wasn't expecting you anymore."_

"_So you decided to scare me to death just because I'm late?"_

"_You are two hours late, you idiot."_

_It infuriated Damon that she was so careless about her own safety. If he trusted Stefan, he couldn't say the same about the two hybrids. After her breakup with Tyler, the young punk had returned to his old ways, acting like a dick to her in school and giving her a hard time every time they crossed paths. Maybe he wouldn't go as far as physically hurting her, but Damon wasn't willing to take the risk. _

_He found that his protective instinct had reached new heights around Caroline, even more so than around Elena. Elena had Stefan and everybody else looking out for her, and he felt like his mission was to look out for Caroline._

_She cleared her throat._

"_Let go of me," she whispered. "I'm in my underwear, in case you haven't noticed."_

_He had been so focused on saving her from whatever was preventing her from answering that he hadn't noticed, actually. He experienced an immediate mood swing as the sight of her in a matching pair of black lace underwear sank into his brain. She was making it _way _too easy for him. He almost felt compelled to comment on that._

"_What was it you said about not expecting me?" he said._

"_Oh, shut up," she sighed. "Turn around. I'll get dressed."_

"_It's nothing I haven't seen before," he pointed out. "I still like it, I might add."_

_Caroline rolled her eyes, just the way he loved. She wanted to slap him across the face when he flirted when her like that, which was most of the time. One: he flirted with everyone. Two: she…enjoyed it. Who wouldn't? She rarely reacted to it though, as she simply assumed it was Damon's way of communicating._

_It was indeed very flattering to have such a handsome man tease her. But this time, there was something more to it. She could tell by the way he looked at her, and the way she felt her skin tingle. The moment was so intense that her breath itched._

"_Stop it, Damon," she said, the most threateningly she could._

_He took a few steps towards her, not in the least phased by her defensiveness._

"_Make me, Blondie."_

_Caroline rolled her eyes. These days, the moniker sounded like an annoying way of rivalling the plethora of nicknames that Klaus gave her. The simple word had such an intimate connotation now that she forbade him to use it in public. Anyone would pick up on the not so subtle change, and she wouldn't know how to explain it. Especially not to Elena, although Caroline found that she couldn't care less about her friend's qualms. She, for once, did believe that Stefan was Elena's epic love, so whatever reason that kept her and Damon apart was a big yes in her book._

_When he called her "Blondie" like that, he made it sound tender, mocking, sometimes kinky, but she only heard affection and protectiveness. She only heard that she had broken down his guard, that he had willingly let her in. In this single word, every time, she heard that he cared about her. _

_She wasn't yet prepared to admit what Elijah told her, that Damon had feelings for her, because her own emotions were such a messy whirlwind that she couldn't begin to sort them out. What she did know was that there was something about Damon that got to her. Something in the way he touched her, with undisguised longing, without hesitation, almost like he was claiming her to be his. _

"_I'm serious, Damon," she hissed. "Enough is enough."_

_Damon contemplated pushing her just a little more, but decided against it. The night was still young and there was plenty of time left for him to make her confront what was developing between them. Of course, _he_ had no doubts about it whatsoever. He wanted her – body _and _soul. It did seem impossible so short after being completely in love with Elena, but it wasn't. This wasn't the same kind of feeling. _

"_Fine," he said, holding his hands up. "I'll be in your bed."_

_Caroline huffed with an exasperated smile as he walked out of the bathroom. It was kind of hard to stay mad at him, even though she was trying to hold on to her anger. Even though seeing Damon in such bad shape in the Mikaelson living-room had brought her to forgive him a lot faster than she would have, she still hadn't forgotten that he lied to her. _

_Moments later, when she found him lying on her bed, her mind briefly flashed to the similar moment she shared with Klaus and what she had told herself then. She had to give them the same opportunities. _

_So she slid into bed with him, and although Damon was surprised, he silently wrapped his arms around her like it was the most natural thing in the world. A few moments passed before she spoke._

"_What is this?" she asked shyly, unsure of how he would respond to her being so straightforward. "You kissing me, asking me on a date, and now the cuddling? What are we doing?"_

_Damon took a deep breath. He was impressed that she hadn't prowled him with questions yet. He'd been expecting Inquisition after he kissed her to apologize, but she had never brought it up. At first he thought she had just decided to pretend it never happened, but then she had agreed to a date. _

_He figured that if neurotic Caroline Forbes could make an effort to be less neurotic, he could bring himself to open up a little. This was the only way he was going to do this right._

"_I don't know what we're doing," he confessed. "And I don't want to know. It just feels right. Here and now."_

_Caroline bit her lip. This wasn't the answer she expected. Truth be told, she didn't know what she was expecting – but at least with Klaus, things were clear. Sort of. He "fancied" her and would stop at nothing to seduce her. As for Damon, well. He was being Damon and living the moment. She couldn't let herself go like this. It was beyond her._

"_You're in love with Elena," she pointed out after a while._

"_I'm moving on," he shrugged. "You said I had to, I figured I'd listen to you, for once."_

_Caroline cursed her big mouth. She did push him to get over Elena, find himself a nice girl who would truly appreciate him _for him. _In other circumstances, she could have been that girl. She would have wanted to be that girl. But everything was so complicated…_

"_You can't make the feelings go away just because you decide to, Damon," she said; a little bit to him, a little bit to herself._

"_I've done it before."_

_Caroline remained silent, remembering the last couple of times Damon had decided to move on from Elena. First, there had been that Rose person who had fallen completely in lust with Damon, according to Elena. She knew Rose had shoved his humanity down Damon's throat, but he never cared about her as more than a friend with benefits. Then, there had been Andie Starr. _

_She exhaled deeply, trying to forget that Stefan had been the one to kill the pretty reporter. Damon had used her for everything he needed: blood, sex, an attentive listener to confide in and compel the next minute. Much like he had done to _her_. And his latest indiscretion with Rebekah? She didn't even want to bring _that _up._

_She moved away from him._

"_You're terrible at relationships, Damon," she said as she sat up. "We both know that."_

_Damon gave her a weak smile. He knew this argument would come up eventually. Unfortunately for him, it was a good one. He had thought about their brief liaison a lot since they became friends, even more since he found himself having feelings for her._

"_I know you and I have a heavy history," he whispered, searching for the right words. "I – I don't know what to say."_

_He'd done many despicable things in his long life, but abusing Caroline was certainly one of those that made him feel the most ashamed. Especially now that he knew who she was. He sat up and ran his hand down her back. She refused to look at him. _

"_I'm sorry for what I did to you," he whispered, his voice hoarse._

_Caroline felt like she'd just been punched in the stomach. She froze for a moment, her mind racing. Her human days seemed like forever ago; she hardly ever thought about what her life was like, who she used to be or what Damon did to her._

"_Damon Salvatore apologizing," she said. "Never thought I'd see the day."_

"_Everything happens, uh?" _

_They laughed softly. Caroline finally turned to meet his intense gaze and she immediately felt that his regrets were genuine. In his eyes, she saw that if he could turn back time, he'd change the turn of events and never hurt her. It warmed her heart._

"_Apology accepted," she said with a quivering smile. "But—"_

"_I know what you think," he interrupted, as one of his hands got lost in her golden locks. "But you're wrong."_

_He silently urged her to look up to him, wanting to look right into her eyes when he was going to say his piece. He'd chosen to open up to two women so far; two women sharing the same traits, but also the same unconditional love for his baby brother. He had put himself out there and made his confession of love, but they had both chosen the other option. _

_So he was going to do things differently this time. _

"_I'm not looking for a rebound," he said. "I'm not looking for anything at all. All I know is that lately, I never feel better than when you're around. I'm not making any promises or talking about forever. But for here and now, I want you, Blondie. For more than just friendship."_

_Caroline's eyes welled up. She knew enough about Damon to appreciate his words – he wasn't one to open up and pour his feelings out but he'd just done it. For her. However, his unexpected confession woke up the control freak in her and she felt the need to distance herself from the overwhelming emotions that were crushing her._

"_You're good," she snorted to conceal her nervousness. "Really good. If I didn't know you, I'd fall for this, you know? Head over heels. You're quite the charmer."_

_Damon's smile vanished as he looked at her questioningly._

"_I'm not following."_

"_Damon, when you look at me like this, you could make me believe that the sky is green," she exclaimed, furious that he had so much power over her with mere words._

_He laughed softly, relieved that his words had gotten to her, but at the same time, frustrated that she kept fighting against her emotions. It took him about a second to decide what his next move would be. He _needed _her to understand that he wasn't being "quite the charmer", that he meant everything he said._

"_Fine," he growled in his throat. "You're giving me no choice."_

_Caroline gasped when he used vampire speed to make her lie back on the bed._

"_Tell me if I'm lying about this," he breathed._

_Before she had time to protest, his hands were resting on her waist as his lips met hers with a heated need. Almost instantly, Caroline found herself unable to resist – she kissed him back, just as fiercely. It was something she had been noticing: her growing chemistry with Damon. _

_She figured it had something to do with him being her Sire. In this very moment, she felt a connection to him that she hadn't felt during their previous encounters; she hadn't even felt it with Tyler. Damon's lips felt so soft, but at the same time, so firm against hers. Her right hand moved to his face, feeling the light stubble with her super-sensitive fingers; she loved the rubbing sensation._

_Damon leaned further into her, pushing her into the bed and grinding their bodies together. His heart was racing. His hands travelled up to cup her face with both hands as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. He frowned when she pushed him away to catch her (unneeded) breath. _

"_Damon," she said, completely out of breath. "We can't—"_

"_Stop," he whispered. "Stop thinking about everyone else. Stop thinking altogether."_

_She frowned._

"_It's just you and me. Right here, right now."_

_Caroline's heart was threatening to beat out of her chest as she felt the weight of his body pressing hers into the mattress. Looking into his deep blue eyes, she felt her desire spiral up and up as he waited for her to make a decision. _

_She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer, moaning when their lips collided in scorching kiss. He grunted in response, forgetting about the entire world as their clothes came off. _

She doesn't regret what happened that night. She regrets that Damon chooses to take each day as it comes, because it makes the insecure control freak inside of her completely crazy; especially when, on the other side, she has a man who talks about forever. She does feel amazing when she's in Damon's arms, or when he smirks at her like he knows exactly what she's thinking – these are small things, but small things that make a difference.

He makes her laugh. And seeing as this is the darkest year of her life, she cannot deny herself that. Hell, even if she wanted to, she couldn't get away from him. He's got a hold on her; there's no escaping this. Even though what they have isn't a proper relationship, it's something nice and funny and refreshing. And she likes it this way.

But for the past two weeks, all Damon has talked about is how much better their lives will be once Klaus is dead. He argues that once the Originals are dealt with, he'll be able to stop watching Elena 24/7 without feeling guilty about it. Says it'll give them time to figure out where they're going.

The truth of the matter? He doesn't like her spending so much time with Klaus, period. She knows and she feels terrible for doing this to him after everything he's been through with women, but at least she's not cheating. A – they're not in a relationship and B – she's been very clear with Klaus: all he can get from her is friendship.

* * *

><p>The D-day is just around the corner, and thanks to Esther's guidance from afar, Bonnie will be fully capable of unveiling the tree in twenty-four hours. The Salvatores already have everything ready to sharpen five stakes, and everybody in Mystic Falls in buzzing in anticipation. Everybody, except her. Her heart is still very much confused as to what should be her place in this entire story.<p>

At first, it made sense to spend time with Klaus, simply to ensure that her friends would stay safe until they could protect themselves. But it quickly became obvious that she carried on with the relationship for very different reasons. She actually enjoyed this man's company: the way he looked at her like she was a goddess, even though he had seen the world; his culture and how it contrasted with her failing one.

Sometimes, she finds herself dancing around the subject of leaving town and filling their conversations with double meaning that Klaus either deliberately ignores or completely misses. Some other times, she wishes they could trigger the eclipse so this would be over. Knowing that she'll lose him soon is the worst torture she could have imagined.

_Because she cares. _

He never lies to her about anything: his qualities (that he shamelessly underlines), his flaws, his desires. Specifically, his desire for her. In a twisted way, she almost feels like he is the only one she can fully trust in the madness that has become of her life. He tells her everything, answers her every question no matter how scary, cruel or disgusting the answer might be. It makes her feel safe. It makes her feel like he values her enough to let her decide what's important for her to know – he gives her the impression to have control over her life. And, truth be told, she does not want to deny herself that.

She's at the boarding house with everyone else, going through the plan all over again. She feels herself suffocate as she looks into the radiant faces of her friends, who're already in a pre-victory party mood. They're rejoicing, and they should be, because in their eyes Klaus is a monster. But in her eyes, he's not. With that in mind, she decides to ditch them all and spend the evening with her "friend". She likes to think that he'd want to spend his last night with her.

Damon just glares at her, and Bonnie silently disapproves. As for Tyler, he snorts and picks up his beer. Matt has given up on trying to talk some sense into her. As for Elena, she's been surprisingly cold towards Caroline since the sleepover... Stefan is the only one who doesn't look at her like she has lost her mind. After all, he's been friends with Klaus in the 20s.

Soon enough, she finds herself knocking on Klaus' door.

"Caroline," he says brightly. "What a delicious surprise, sweetheart."

She returns his smile – the way his face lightens up whenever she enters a room is something that rivals Bonnie's most powerful magic in her eyes. _You're full of light_.

"I wanted to spend some time with you," she says truthfully. "Can I come in?"

He pretends to think about it for a second, and she playfully rolls her eyes.

"We're having a family dinner," he informs. "Care to be my plus one?"

Caroline nods and accepts his arm to enter the mansion. She barely suppresses a scowl when they enter the dining room. So much for enjoying her last night with him.

Every single member of the Original Family is back in town, down right to Finn's true love, some girl named Sage. Caroline had to bite the insides of her cheeks not to laugh when they were introduced. In her eyes, Finn is way too creepy to be loved by a woman. But there, during dinner, she sees that Sage can't get her hands off him – frankly, it makes her gag. Klaus glances at her with a smirk from time to time, giving away that he, too, finds all this sappy love utterly disgusting.

But there's something off about Klaus. There's something off about the way Kol has invited a friend (like that annoying bastard can ever made friends without compulsion), that Sage has brought some guy with her. Now that she thinks about it … They are eight of them. _Eight. _

She makes the calculus in her head: since Alaric's been too weak to fight tomorrow, that leaves: Damon and Stefan, Elena and Jeremy, Matt and Tyler, and she and Bonnie. Eight people, as well. This cannot be a coincidence. Her stomach immediately ties into knots.

Maybe Klaus knows about the tree. Maybe that's why he's having his troops gather: each of them sent on a mission to end one of _her_ people. She briefly wonders who he has assigned to who.

Kol will take down Damon, to get back at him for what happened at the Ball. Rebekah will take Elena, because of their history with Stefan. Elijah will probably deal with Bonnie, because she's the greatest threat and the task can tolerate no mistake – Elijah is patient and meticulous, which makes him all the more murderous.

Finn will go for Tyler because Matt and Jeremy are really not worthy of an Original's strength. Sage will be assigned to Stefan: Caroline can tell that this vampire is very old and experienced. Then, the other two will deal with the humans. Caroline muses about Klaus' choice: she is positive he will choose to take care of her personally, to punish the betrayal and, somehow, she thinks she'll gladly let him.

* * *

><p>For the hundredth time, Caroline heaves a sigh and runs a hand through her hair. Klaus groans; he's been trying to draw a portrait of her for half an hour now and the fact that she keeps shifting on her seat really doesn't help him focus. He frowns, trying to focus on the curves he's endeavoured to reproduce, but is interrupted when she huffs under her breath.<p>

"Something is bothering you," Klaus states. "I want to know what it is."

"I don't wanna talk about it."

She has been quiet during dinner – unusually quiet. A light frown line has creased her forever ever since he knocked on the door. Even Elijah noticed. Rebekah couldn't care less, as she was too busy rambling about her latest spat with Damon Salvatore. Caroline barely kept up with the chit-chat, staring at her plate and barely even touching dessert.

"Is it Tyler?" he pushes. "Or Damon? Or both, maybe?"

He isn't delusional. The baby hybrid and the vampire hold a place in her heart. He is just grateful to whom it may concern that she's made room for him, too. Sharing isn't his favourite thing in the world, but he'd rather have a third of her heart than nothing at all.

"I said I don't wanna talk about it, Klaus," she says firmly.

She wouldn't know what to say. Ever since her latest conversation with Elijah, she has been unable to sort out her feelings. Klaus had it coming – with everything that he's ever done, he _deserves _to die. But he hasn't always been evil; it's not his truest nature to be. It's the result of ill-luck and dysfunctional family ties. What to do, then?

Right now, staring at him, she understands what Elijah meant when he said she was lying to herself: Klaus hasn't threatened anyone ever since they engaged in this awkward "dance" together, and she knows he wouldn't harm anybody she loves. _Because he cares about her. Because he _loves _her. _

The words have never passed his lips, and it's really no wonder when you look at his past. He only ever loved his family, and his parents did everything they could to kill him. And then there was Stefan. Stefan who he called a brother, and who had given up on him.

"Caroline, sweetheart," he calls softly, bringing her back to Earth. "Talk to me."

She nears him in a swift motion as he keeps drawing. His body relaxes immediately, and she feels herself tense. She has seen many of his works before, but this one is certainly the most beautiful of all. His version of her reflects exactly her current state of mind: her eyes are distant, clouded by something dark and engulfing.

She sighs.

"My friends want you and your family dead," she states matter-of-factly.

Klaus laughs and drops his pencil to face her. Her brow is knitted together, her lips set in a straight line. He hasn't seen that look on her face since the early days of their friendship of sorts, and he wonders why the realization that he's still the villain in the story upsets her so much. Caroline looks down to him, allowing him to see just how preoccupied she is – her eyes are glistening with tears. The sight stirs something unpleasant inside of his chest.

"I hate being caught in the middle," she argues. "Having to choose."

"Rest assured I will never make you," he says. "I am not _that_ presumptuous."

_Unfortunately, it's not just about you, _she thinks bitterly. Her hands come to rest on his shoulders and she sees the shadow of a smile passing on his face; her heart breaks a little, knowing this is one of the last times she'll ever see him smile. And God, does she love that smile – it's the tangible evidence that she, of all people, has a privileged connection to him.

"They want to _kill _you," she repeats.

"I can't be killed, sweet Caroline," he reminds with a patronizing smile, hoping the Scooby Gang hasn't found out about the tree that he and his siblings are still failing to locate.

"What if they find a way?" she pushes, her insecurity painfully perceptible.

Klaus frowns, perplexed by her sudden interest in the matter. However, his brain refuses to process the hypothesis that she might know something crucial, and chooses to focus on the obvious distaste she has for the thought of him getting killed. It's one of the rare times that she's allowed herself to display a sincere, deep emotion in his presence and the fact that it's actual concern gives him hope that one day, she'll be ready for everything he has to offer.

"Then I guess it'll be the end of my long wandering this planet," he says with a shrug. "All good things must come to an end, right?"

Caroline's eyes widen slightly. The cruel sense of loss that she's experiencing isn't something she expected. Their short time together, as friends or whatever they are, simply happened, and for once in her life, control freak Caroline Forbes did nothing but enjoy the ride, regardless of the consequences. She didn't waste time overthinking it or analysing his every word. During these weeks, she simply _was_.

As she looks at him now, she almost feels like he's already gone. Although her hands are on his shoulders and his eyes are caressing hers, it's like he is drifting away, too fast for her to chase after him, but too slowly for it not to be excruciatingly painful. The violence of her emotions astounds her, but if there ever is a right time to listen to her heart, she knows for sure it is right here, and right now.

"What — What would you do if you knew you wouldn't be alive tomorrow?"

Klaus inhales deeply, his eyes shining with admiration, like every time he looks at her. His lips curl into a teasing smile.

"You surely are in a depressing mood tonight, love," he notices.

She shrugs, unsure of what to say.

"I don't have to ask myself that question," he continues. "And neither do you. We're vampires, remember?"

"Humour me," she says.

Klaus takes a moment to think about it, his gaze becoming unfocused. Caroline's fingers distractedly play with the collar of his shirt, completely oblivious to the intimacy of the gesture. He clears his throat to call her to order. She pursues her lips together, but doesn't stop.

"So?" she says distractedly.

"You don't want to know, love," he whispers eventually, sending shivers down her spine.

"Yes, I do," she insists.

His hands find their way to her hips, making her breath itch. She remembers that night – the night he turned her down, saying he wanted to wait for her to really want _it. _He has tested her limits more than once, she knows the game by now; only this time, she doesn't take a step back when he gets to his feet. Her hands are still resting on his shoulders; they are standing so close that her hair is brushing against his face and the atmosphere around them seems to be on fire.

"Should I never see the light of day again," he breathes, "I would man up and kiss you like I've been meaning to for so long."

She swallows with great difficulty as he stands there, waiting for her to say something, to do something. Although she does not need to breathe, she feels like she's suffocating – why, _just why_ did she initiate this talk? In just a few hours he'll be gone, and she'll have to go back to her life: school, her mother, her unfinished business with Damon, her friendship with Stefan. _Why bother?_

Klaus observes her carefully, sensing that something isn't quite right. Caroline has always made it very clear that all he could get from her was friendship. Being persistent as he is, he has made sure to maintain a certain level of ambiguity in everything he tells her, in every touch, in every glance. However, the way she reacts to it tonight is entirely different.

He clears his throat and takes a step back, causing her hands to slide down his chest. She frowns at him in confusion.

"Like I said," he says. "This isn't a question I need to ask myself. I have all eternity ahead of me."

Caroline manages to smile, but she doesn't say a word. The moment is broken, and the sense of loss makes itself known again. _He'll be dead tomorrow. I'll never see him again. I'll never know what it feels like to kiss him. _

She remembers the first time he got to her, that day outside the Grill. _"Take a chance, Caroline."_ This is it. The only chance she'll ever be able to take on him. Her one and only opportunity to let him know that he's been the most earth-shattering experience that ever happened to her. That he challenges her every belief, makes her want to see the world, almost convinces her that being a vampire is everything she needs to be. If she walks out right now, he will never know. She _needs_ him to know.

"Oh, what the Hell," she mumbles as she pulls him against her, throws her arms around his neck and presses her lips to his.

**tbc ...**

* * *

><p><strong>AN : Aye, readers ! Thank you for your lovely comments: rest assured that whover you want Caroline with, she'll be with him. I can promise as much. In this chapter, she's close to both, so no pressure ;) I'm not even thinking about endgame, and neither should you. Just enjoy the ride, I have a few tasty things for ya. **

**With that said : share all your thoughts on this chapter and the moments she shared with our two favourite vampires. Also, the eclipse is here ! Why do you think every Original is back in town? What do you think will happen after the first Klaroline kiss? Will Damon find out, and if so, how will he react to it ?**

**I love you all. **


	10. Something Wicked This Way Comes

**10. Something Wicked This Way Comes**

The Mikaelson residence was buzzing with all kinds of different vibes at the moment. So much that if the walls could walk, they would probably run off and leave the terrible siblings to their endless bickering. They all have very different strategies on how to handle the tree situation.

Finn, for one, couldn't care less. It's a surprise to no one, since he has clearly expressed his desire to return to ashes. Having been reunited with his lover just few days before, he gives little thought to what might happen to the rest of the family. His plan could be translated into five words: enjoy his time with Sage.

_Because, for some reason, _he_ gets to be with the one he loves. _

Kol is nowhere to be found, but Klaus can't say he's surprised. He had a feeling that twenty-first century Kol would not be one to stay home all day catching up with literature or the progress of science. The boy is probably out there charming the pants off some Senior, and Klaus really can't blame him.

_He'd be doing the same if he wasn't such a big fat coward. _

Elijah's attitude, of course is slightly contrasting. Being the most meticulous of them all, he has spent the last few hours racking his brain to find the logic behind the witches' reasoning. No need to say, he is miserably failing, but patience has always been Elijah's biggest quality.

_Although right now, it's also his most annoying trait. _

"The white oak tree grew here in Mystic Falls," the brown-eyed Original says, pacing quietly around the room like he always does when he is growing nervous. "There must be something in the town's archives."

"This has to be magical, you will not find anything in the archives," Finn says with a sigh.

"Mother is somewhere out there, plotting to get us killed," Rebekah says with unmasked fright. "She must know."

Rebekah is probably the worst. She is convinced that the Salvatores have found the tree. Says Damon's been taunting her _somehow_ and this can only mean that he's up to no good. Her nervousness is overwhelming the entire room.

But Klaus is way too caught up in his own little world to care. It just makes him want to roll his eyes that they are all so terribly obsessing over one stupid – deadly, yes, but still stupid – white oak tree. For the past hours, his instinct of self-preservation has faded to a mere concern.

_From the second she locked her lips to his and her delicate hands grabbed his shoulders, the world could have come crashing down: he wouldn't have let go to save his life. It was happening. He and Caroline were kissing. Her lean body was against his and his hands naturally found their way to rest on her hips. _

_Surprisingly enough, it was not his body that responded to the unexpected intimacy; it was his heart. More accurately, his soul. Being this close to Caroline made him feel like he could feel the sun again, like he was young all over again, wild and free. All of these emotions seemed to flow from her tender lips._

He's been feeling the urge to be in her presence again, to send her the most ridiculously chivalrous notes, shower her with gifts of all kinds. Whenever the image of their lips dancing across each other comes to him, his heart skips a beat. If there is such a thing as falling in love for people like him, it has to feel like this. Feeling like whatever it takes to get what she needs, he'll do. To make her feel, if only for a moment, the way she did when she gave him that kiss. To make her come alive like he did with her fingers on his skin.

"Niklaus," Rebekah snaps. "It does not seem to worry you that someone might be sharpening stakes to kill us. Are you listening, at all?"

Klaus furiously blinks, snapping out of his trance to meet Rebekah's glare. She is standing in front of him with her hands on her hips, her frustration clearly perceptible. His face breaks into a polite grin.

"Truth be told, sunshine, I am most certainly not," he confesses.

"This isn't helping at all," Sage says. "We need to find that tree."

Kol snorts at that, making his presence known. Klaus looks up from his sketchbook, sensing that the conversation is about to take a turn. If anything, Kol has always proven to be intolerably impatient. At least someone will speed up the process and discourage the rest from the stupid quest.

"Can't we just burn the damn forest and move on?"

"And where the bloody Hell have you been?" Rebekah snaps at her older brother, assessing his debonair allure. "Compelled yourself company last night, I suppose?"

Klaus barely suppresses a smile when Elijah huffs under his breath. This feels just like old times. Secretly, he hopes there will always be stupid white oaks trees to bring them all together.

* * *

><p><em>Caroline had just left, and for some reason, while everyone rushed out of the boarding house to escape the awkward atmosphere, Bonnie had decided to stick around. She hadn't addressed a word to Damon, ignoring his every attempt at making verbal contact with her. She was going through the plan with Stefan over and over again, and Damon just needed to get his mind off of Caroline's sudden need to meet with Klaus.<em>

"_Seriously, witch, what are you so pissed at?" Damon asked nonchalantly, trying to get a reaction – any reaction – of her._

_At first, he'd been determined to endure Bonnie's cold attitude and bitterness towards him, feeling like the least he could do was give her someone to hate for everything that was wrong in the world. He felt comfortable in that role; he and the witch had never been close, so it wouldn't make that big a change. _

_But as he grew closer to Caroline and the blonde talked him into making some efforts, he remembered that one decade dance. How awkward it felt to close her flat eyes, to lift her limp body into his arms and get her in the trunk of the car. How she had basically saved everyone that night, without hesitation._

_He came to realize that he admired Bonnie's selflessness, although he'd be damned if he admitted to her. She was one of those people you needed in your life. Despite her self-righteousness, her annoying morals, her propensity to judge and her prude antics, Bonnie Bennett was a rock to hold on to whenever the waves came crashing over. So his new objective was to get Bonnie to tolerate him again. _

_Judging by how she was frowning at him, it was _not_ going to be easy. _

"_I'm pissed that you exist, and I'm pissed that you talk so damn much, Damon," she said tiredly. "I am pissed that God hasn't been merciful enough to make you mute, or responsible, or sensitive at all. I'm pissed that you're lusting after my best friend whose heart is big enough to let you in, and I'm pissed that you always feel like you _have _to talk to me whenever we happen to be in the same room. You're an infant and I'm sick of putting up with you. This, Damon, is what I'm pissed at."_

_Stefan chuckled softly, earning a glare from his brother. The younger Salvatore had no idea why Bonnie was still here, but this was going to make his evening much more interesting. The always changing dynamics between Bonnie and Damon were better than any show on TV. One minute they were perfectly civil to one another, and the next, one of them was yelling at the other for seemingly no reason at all, like Bonnie just had. _

"_So many feelings," Damon said mockingly. "No wonder you were being such a bitch. Feel better, now?"_

_Bonnie groaned and pushed past him to sit on the couch, closer to Stefan. But Damon was nowhere near done with her. He perfectly knew that this wasn't the ideal moment to bring up their unfinished business and her tenacious resentment, but he was on a roll. After apologizing to Caroline, he had realized how cathartic it felt to say he was sorry when he actually meant it. He felt lighter, sort of. _

_He wanted to feel lighter._

_He jumped next to Bonnie and slid his arm around her shoulders, causing the teenager to wince. He heard Stefan sigh, but figured it would be good to have his brother here as a referee. Damon took a deep breath. It was now or never._

"_Are you gonna be mad at me about Abby forever?" he asked in a boyish voice. "Because really, this is old news and the woman's a useless bitch."_

_Stefan sighed. Even after 146 years of close contact with tactless Damon, he still wasn't used to it – how could one be so unaware of the rules of propriety? He threw a sympathetic glance at Bonnie, hoping she'd settle for ignoring his brother. Otherwise, he feared Damon would only make things worse. And now, just a few hours before they needed a cool-headed witch to perform the spell that would get them rid of all the Originals, wasn't a good time to mess with her._

"_One more word, Damon and —"Bonnie threatened._

"_You'll give in to your dormant sadistic side and give me an aneurism? Be my guest. Won't change the fact that you're better off without her."_

_Bonnie huffed at the unexpected softness of his voice. She had trouble believing this guy. His very existence was the epitome of everything she despised: cockiness, complete absence of boundaries. Infuriating tendency to be right about things that were none of his business._

"_Don't ever mention Abby in front of me again," she said firmly. "Ever."_

"_You don't understand," Damon pursued, ignoring Bonnie's darkening eyes. "It's okay that she's a useless bitch who can't stick around to take care of her kid."_

_Damon's next move surprised both of them. His right hand came to rest on one of her arms, causing Bonnie to frown. She narrowed her eyes at him in a mix of apprehension and curiosity. He met her eyes and, although his gaze remained flat and impassive, she sensed a kind of warmth coming off of him in waves. _

Who was that man and what did he do with Damon Salvatore?

"_You think you're weak because you're hurting," he said softly, still not removing his hand. "But you're wrong. Abby is the best mother you could have had, because her absence made you what you are now."_

"_And what's that?" she whispered._

"_A gigantic pain in my ass," Damon smirked. _

There, he was back,_ Bonnie thought. She laughed despite herself and tried to get away from him but his hold on her arm got firmer. _

"_Strong. Independent. Selfless," he enumerated. "Pretty, brave, protective. I could actually like you if you stopped being so damn judgmental, Bennett."_

_Bonnie sat there, utterly at a loss for words. Discussing Abby always got her speechless, for she had so much to say. However, this time, it wasn't so much the topic of conversation as the interlocutor that made her mute. Looking at Damon now, and considering the words that had just come out of his mouth, she could see why Caroline gave him a second chance. _

_There was something so genuine in his eyes that she dared not ask him if he'd been dumped on his head lately. Those were words she needed to hear, and for some reason, they seemed to matter more when _he _said them, as opposed to someone closer to her. _

"_Turn the weakness into strength. That's what I do."_

_Bonnie snorted._

"_Yes, I do have a __weakness. And since you must _hate_ that I know about yours, I'll tell you about mine."_

_She huffed to conceal her growing uneasiness. _

"_I know all about your drinking problem already, Damon," she replied._

"_Caroline," he just said after a while._

_Stefan froze on the other end of the room, slowly spinning around to see Bonnie throw a puzzled glance at Damon. He felt like now was the time for him to intervene in this conversation. He'd been meaning to discuss Damon's "relationship" with Caroline for a while, especially since the blonde had allowed him back into her life, but he could never find the right time. However, Damon seemed in the mood, tonight. _

_The younger Salvatore poured drinks for all three of them. His brother didn't react at first, but Stefan knew him well enough to decipher the look on his face: Damon was feeling helpless. His suspicion was confirmed soon enough._

"_You do know that she's with him right now, don't you?" Damon grumbled._

_He needed to get this out of his chest, and Stefan seemed to be the ideal confidante, especially since, for the first time in 146 years, they weren't interested in the same woman. Bonnie was just an extra guest to this painful conversation, and he hoped she'd be able to put her resentment aside long enough to give him advice on how to break this hold that Klaus seemed to have on Caroline. _

"_Klaus is going to be dead tomorrow," the young witch pointed out. "It's not him you have to worry about, if you ask me. You're the problem."_

_Damon shook his head in disbelief. Sometimes he did wonder what was the point of showing himself in a vulnerable place if people were going to make him feel worse. Stefan just smiled at Bonnie's bluntness._

"_On the one side, she's got this grown man who's been around the world and back, who's constantly trying to win her heart," Stefan exposed. "He showers her with ridiculous expensive gifts and drawings, and claims that he fancies her."_

_Damon groaned at that, and Bonnie just rolled her eyes. _

"_And on the other side, there's you," Bonnie pursued. "Who seems to be perfectly content with whatever nonsense there is going on between the two of you, who has a history of failed relationships and who's very unreliable. Not to mention you've hurt her before."_

_Damon glared at her in return for her brilliant exposé. He wanted her gone. As far as he knew, she didn't have such a great track record when it came to relationships either. Who was she to talk?_

"_What exactly are you saying, Love Doctor?" he snapped._

_The vampire ran his tongue over his teeth as he met Bonnie's green eyes. All traces of judgment were gone, replaced only by honest astonishment. He briefly closed his eyes and cursed himself – he said "love". _

"_Is this what we're talking about?" Stefan asked, visibly just as surprised. "Love? You _love _Caroline?"_

"_You two just mind your own business," Damon said as he stood up to retire to his bedroom. "You're in no position to give me any advice."_

_The green-eyed vampire scrunched his eyebrows together, clearly confused at his brother's sudden fire. Bonnie simply shrugged. She didn't care if Damon didn't want to listen to what she had to say: he'd find out soon enough that if he had real feelings for Caroline, he'd need to stop being an ass and become worthy of her. _

_She disliked the idea of them together, but it was not her business. She'd already gone through a rough patch with Elena about one vampire boyfriend, she refused to let another one come between her and Caroline. Besides, she'd rather have Caroline with Damon than with _Klaus.

"_What is that supposed to mean?" Stefan asked. "If you have something to say, please, do tell."_

"_How are you the right person to give me advice when you sit on your sorry ass all day moping about Elena?" Damon asked with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "At least, I'm getting laid."_

_Stefan gaped for a second, unsure of how to respond. He and his brother had never properly discussed the Elena situation, but it was clear to everyone that Damon was moving on. Stefan felt that, even if Caroline hadn't been part of the equation, his brother was ready to let go of Elena. Of course, that had filled him with hope, but then he had, well, sat on his sorry ass all day, moping._

"_You can't possibly say you and I are in the same situation," Stefan argued. "I've treated Elena so badly. You can't expect me to just bring her flowers and start over."_

"_Besides, since when do you want him and Elena together?" Bonnie added._

_Damon smiled at his younger brother. Honestly, he didn't care who Stefan ended up with. He had reached a place where all he wanted was for Stefan to find a girl, settle down like he was meant to, and have the "happily ever after" that heroes usually got. If Elena was Stefan's happily ever after, then so be it. _

"_Like I said before, you can blame stupid Caroline for my being a sappy mess," Damon said with a nonchalant shrug. "She's turned me into what she calls a 'Stelena shipper', which is Blondie language for 'I am fully supportive of your relationship.' Apparently. The girl's been reading too many gossip magazines about Brad and Angelina, a.k.a Brangelina."_

_Stefan couldn't help laughing when Damon mimicked Caroline's voice and posture. This was the single stupidest thing he had ever heard. As for Bonnie, well, she failed to suppress a giggle – Caroline did have this man wrapped around her finger and she didn't even know it. It astounded her just how different the blue-eyed man in front of her was from the Damon she knew._

"_The fact that you even know how she comes up with these things scares me," Stefan admitted light-heartedly, feeling the tension in his shoulders subside for a moment. "That girl is changing you."_

_Damon contemplated the playful accusation for a moment._

"_No, she's not," he finally said. "She's just bringing back the old me."_

"_Pre-Petrovas you," Stefan observed as he lifted his glass to meet Damon's. "Well, I approve!"_

_They clinked glasses and drank to that, all three feeling that there wasn't much more to be said. Damon had feelings for Caroline, and he should do everything he could to turn their friendship of sorts into an actual relationship. Maybe it was too early, maybe it was never going to happen, but at least he had to try. He felt like taking the challenge._

_Silence settled in for a moment as they reflected on the friendly moment they had just shared. Bonnie realized that it was the first time she'd been alone with the brothers in a long while. Once again, all they had demanded of her was her opinion on "trivial" matters, as opposed to century-old spells. They had treated her like a friend, and she kind of liked that. _

"_Hey Judgey," Damon said reluctantly. "Think you can do without an audience tomorrow?"_

_Bonnie looked up, glaring at him instinctively despite her pleasant thoughts. She resented the moniker he constantly gave her, and his trademark smirk made her roll her eyes. However, when she took a while to think about his question, she thought she saw a shadow passing over Damon's face._

"_Why'd you ask?" she said calmly, wording Stefan's curiosity._

_Damon took a deep breath. Ever since Caroline left the boarding house, his mind had been troubled. He knew she was probably with Klaus and the thought alone made his insides knot. He wasn't blind – he did his very best to be casual about her relationship with the Hybrid, but it was killing him._

"_I don't want Blondie involved in this," he finally said. _

"_What's your plan?" Bonnie asked immediately._

_Stefan sat in a corner of the room as Damon and Bonnie completely reshaped their plan in perfect harmony, marvelling at how well these two minds could work together when they decided to. In more ways than just one, Damon and Bonnie were two halves of one whole: strong-willed and fearless, they stopped at nothing when it came to protecting the people they loved. Such an association could only be a good omen for the D-day._

* * *

><p>Caroline has been staring at the ceiling of her bedroom for the past hour, wondering just how the Hell her life has become such a mess. She thought she had problems when she had to choose between Matt and Tyler, but this, right now, is something else entirely.<p>

Today is Klaus' last day on Earth. By 8pm, he'll be nothing more than a mere memory, a nightmare that everybody would relegate to the shadows forever. They'll laugh at how scared they were of the super villain, roll their eyes at how obsessed they were with killing him.

She, on the other hand, will be left with a hole in her heart, forever. She'll have to live with herself knowing that she willingly chose to look the other way when she was offered a different life.

"Knock, knock," a voice says softly, bringing her out of her reverie.

She inhales softly and turns to face Damon. Their eyes meet as he gives her a slight smile, and she feels like she's staring at a stranger. Everything around her has been nothing but a blur, and Damon is the first person she has actually _looked at_. The sense of familiarity should be comforting, but it really isn't. She feels half a world away from him, from everybody else, from Mystic Falls altogether.

She shrugs it off and does what Caroline Forbes does best: she puts on a bright smile. Forgets that she was kissing another man not so long ago, but still takes a step back when Damon leans in.

"What are you doing here? Aren't we supposed to gather in the woods?"

Damon hesitates, contemplating what to tell her and trying to make sense of her unusual coldness. He's dying to ask what she did last night. _Who she was with and why._ With her blonde mane cascading over her shoulders and her darkened blue eyes, she is the breathing image of beauty. Once more, he wonders how he had this woman crazy about him and mistreated her. How he was ever able to overlook her to become a doormat for Elena. _Why can't he ever love what's good for him? _

"About that," he drawls. "Change of plans."

Caroline turns away from him, facing the window and glancing outside. She remains silent, faintly wondering if it means they aren't killing Klaus after all. Honestly, she doesn't want to know, but still pays attention when Damon explains that their initial plan to all go after the Originals together is a terrible idea. She vaguely wants to agree, especially since Klaus has his own mini-army ready, but she doesn't want to say his name. Not in front of Damon.

Her brain registers that the new plan involves Stefan watching over Bonnie today until the eclipse is over, sharpening stakes and killing the Originals by singling them out, one after the other. She can't help but wonder if they'll start with Klaus – and if they don't, if the Hybrid will run for his life when he understands what's going on. _Or if he decides to kill every last one of them instead, which is more like him. _

"You're upset," she observes without turning to Damon. "What's wrong?"

A shiver runs down her spine as she feels him approaching her from behind, and her eyes flutter when his hands brush against her arms. Through the fabric of her shirt, the touch is softer than anything she's ever experienced with him. _Damn him._

"Nothing you can't fix," he whispers in her ear before his lips leave a trail of soft kisses along her neck.

She knows she won't resist – she can't. She knows that if he doesn't stop right this second, she'll give in to the carnal attraction lingering between them once again. The question is: does she want to?

Her natural instinct is to lean into the touch, but she remains motionless, holding her breath. His fingers swiftly slide under her blouse, barely even touching the skin. The simple contact reminds her of their heated nights of passion, past and recent. Of these out-of-everything moment when all she cares about are his hands, his lips, his hot breath against her skin.

Damon feels her tense with satisfaction.

His hands travel back up her arms as he brings her closer. Caroline complies, allowing her hands to rest on his arms. He inhales the strawberry perfume of her shampoo.

"Damon," she starts. "It's not a good—"

He slowly spins her around and silences her with a finger on her lips.

"Here and now," she whispers. "It's all that matters, I know."

A soft smile appears on Damon's face as he cups her cheek. Klaus will be dead by the end of the day and there is no way in Hell he's going to let this girl slip away from him again. Feeling nervous about taking such a big step, he takes a moment to simply look at her.

"I'm not going anywhere, Blondie," he whispers softly. "Here and now can go on for as long as you want it to."

* * *

><p>"You know what to do," Stefan says, his voice unusually authoritarian.<p>

The collective of friends takes a deep breath as they look up to the darkening sky. The moment they have all been waiting for is here. The time has come for their hopes and dreams for a brighter future to come true.

Stefan and Tyler, as undead beings, step aside while the humans and the doppelganger gather in circle, holding out their hands to form a chain of energy for the witch to channel. The other two carefully scan through the woods to ascertain the possible presence of enemies, but find no evidence that they're under a present danger. They share a wordless nod. It's in their hands to make sure everything goes according to plan.

"It's time," Bonnie says.

The nervousness radiating off of her soon gives way to a certain sense of power as the moon completely obscures the sun and she begins chanting, with the assistance of the collective of witches. She can see them all, lending a hand in the final destruction of their mortal enemies – her grandmother, casting a benevolent look upon her, Esther, with fierce determination shining through her eyes, and the rest of them, sharing their power with her for the last time.

She thinks about everything that has changed since the supernatural intruded in her life; everything that's changed, everything that she's lost. She wants a semblance of normalcy to return to Mystic Falls and it all depends on her. For a change, she doesn't feel like she's doing this for everyone else – she's doing this for herself. For her life to become her own again. For sleepovers with Caroline and Elena, cheerleading practices and safe school dances.

She inhales deeply and keeps on chanting. Within seconds, darkness falls upon the town and the wind starts blowing louder and louder. She feels her friends hold on tighter to her hands and raises her voice above the gusts of wind.

Stefan and Tyler, being the only ones with their eyes open, gasp as the roots of a massive tree start materializing right in front of them, filling a space that was void mere seconds before. Out of nothingness, the solution to their problems is now here, at arms' length. _Finally. _

It takes a few more minutes for the tree to be fully uncovered – Bonnie keeps her eyes closed even when she stops chanting, consulting with the witches to agree of the course of action to follow from now on.

"Took you long enough," says a voice, causing them all to jump.

The circle breaks as Elena pushes Jeremy behind her and Matt does the same with her. Stefan and Tyler immediately adopt a posture of defensiveness, shielding the others behind them. Emerging from behind a tree, Finn walks up to them, ever so quietly. He doesn't look threatening at all, but somehow he's the most unpredictable of them all.

Stefan doesn't trust him. Neither does Tyler, whose natural arrogance brings him to take a step towards the Original brother.

"It won't be long before my siblings start looking for me," Finn says. "You might want to hurry."

"What are you doing here?" Tyler enquires aggressively.

Bonnie reopens her eyes, giving a reassuring smile to Elena, Matt and Jeremy. She walks up to Tyler and puts a soothing hand on his arm, commanding him to relax. Following her instinct, or rather the silent advice of her fellow witches, she comes to stand in front of Finn.

"He wants to die," she informs calmly.

The odd Original nods wordlessly, causing the rest of the audience to relax.

"Like I said, you might want to hurry."

* * *

><p>Lying in Damon's arms with their legs tangled in her bed, Caroline refuses to acknowledge the implications of what is happening As she glances outside, she sees the moon slowly nearing the sun. This eclipse will change everything – she had three months to get used to the idea, but it's still too soon. Her eyes devoid of any emotion, she observes as the light of day progressively gives way to darkness, faintly wondering if Bonnie is done with the spell.<p>

Damon, on the other hand, has trouble containing his excitement. His conversation with Stefan and Bonnie still vivid in his mind, he is determined to have _the _talk. Racking his brain to find the best way to initiate it, he is content with just the contact of their skins, the sound of her still shallow breath. But it's not enough. Not anymore. He holds on tighter to her and she looks up to him, resting her chin on his chest. There's a glint of mischief in her eyes, but he sees past that – directly to the insecure control freak that he has grown to care for.

"What, now?" he asks softly.

Caroline hesitates. There is something about this moment; something that she can't quite identify but that she feels nonetheless.

_He stared right into her eyes the entire time. It was like he was trying to make love not only to her body, but also to her mind, to her soul. He didn't say a word – no cocky jokes, no words of passion. Just the sound of the sheets being crumpled, his sighs and her moans, and the rhythmic sound of their panting breaths. She couldn't help but notice their inhales and exhales were in perfect synchronicity. Damon knew her, there was no doubt about that. She fully realized it as he guessed where and how she needed to be touched, as he shifted their bodies exactly when she wanted him to, as he kept bringing her further into complete oblivion and bliss._

"What you said earlier," she starts, unwilling to put him on the spot but desperately in need of something to hold on to.

She trails off, leaving the sentence unfinished as Mystic Falls is completely engulfed by the darkness. _This is Klaus' death_, she thinks. And she needs to hold on to something, anything. She needs Damon to make her believe that being here in his arms and not in a plane to the other end of the world with Klaus is where she needs to be. Where she _wants _to be.

"About not going anywhere," she finishes, focusing her gaze and drowning into his blue eyes. "Where did that come from?"

Damon's lips twitch into a smile; seeing her walking on eggshells around him makes him a little more confident about this. He hasn't found himself shy around a woman for a while, and the feeling of his heart pounding in his chest tells him it's the right thing to do.

"Is it your first eclipse?" he says distractedly. "I love them."

Caroline frowns at him, unsure of where the conversation is going.

"Yeah, it's my first," she grumbles. "Hopefully the last."

"There's something poetic about an eclipse," he explains. "All living creatures reduced to powerless victims of the Universe, you know? Exposed to risks of losing their way and losing control."

"_And then the sunlight breaks through, shining its warmth onto the chaos again, paving the way for a fresh start?"_ she mocks softly.

"Don't laugh at me," he commands. "It's perfect for new beginnings."

"What happened to 'here and now'?"

Damon huffs with a shrug before ravishing her lips into a scorching kiss.

"Totally overrated."

Caroline just smiles, feeling her insides melt.

* * *

><p>Stefan powerlessly watches the situation fall apart. There's nothing he can do, because this isn't what was supposed to happen and there are so many reasons why this is going to be a disaster and someone is going to end up dead.<p>

One minute, Finn is standing there alone and Bonnie has a badly sharpened stake going through his heart. Everything is fine and the Original is slowly starting to burn, without a sound, keeping his head high while returning to ashes.

And then a woman lets out a heartbreaking shriek of pain – Sage, Stefan identifies. She has crazy eyes and she breaks down and there will be Hell to pay for killing her one and only love if she stays alive. And then, there's another shriek – Rebekah, this time. She isn't alone; Kol is with her.

Stefan's first instinct is to get to Elena. Bonnie can take care of herself long enough to get back to her house, for sure. Jeremy has his ring, and Matt has borrowed Alaric's. Tyler, as a hybrid, is stronger than the Originals. The absolute priority is to _get Elena out of here, right now._

Jeremy and Matt seem to have the same instinct. But then Jeremy is flying up against a tree and Matt is bitten, and Kol is going for Tyler. Stefan tries to stand between Elena and the blonde, but pain is a booster of strength and she has no trouble breaking a few bones of choice is his body. With a cry of agony, he has to watch as Bonnie fails to protect the doppelganger.

More screams as the Original sister sinks her teeth into Elena's neck and tears the flesh apart. More screams as Tyler grabs a branch from the tree and shoves it into Kol's heart, completely by surprise. More screams as Rebekah realizes that two of her brothers are gone.

It's time to run before these two women get back to their senses. Stefan can't move. Bonnie helps Elena stand despite her broken leg. There's blood everywhere. Tyler and Matt carry Jeremy. They run back to Elena's house.

* * *

><p>"Hey Stefan," Caroline greets cheerfully. "Is everything okay?"<p>

"Where's Damon? He isn't answering his phone. I need to talk to him, now."

Caroline frowns at the hard tone in her best friend's voice. She knows Stefan and she knows something is definitely wrong. Her heart skips a beat as reality sinks back in – while she was cuddling with Damon, Stefan was with Bonnie. Maybe the spell failed. Maybe they can't kill Klaus. Or maybe the Originals found out about the tree.

Damon lazily drags her back into bed with him, mumbling something about throwing her phone away if she doesn't hang up right away. For a second, she almost begs him to do it. Maybe she doesn't want to know what happened. Maybe she wants this moment with him to last forever.

"It's Stefan," she tells him, causing his face to darken.

Damon immediately grabs the phone from her hands.

"What happened?" he all but growls at his younger brother.

There's a silence at the other end of the line for a while, and then the words rush out of Stefan's mouth, causing Caroline's bubble of denial to burst for good.

* * *

><p>The drive to Elena's house is silent.<p>

Caroline is furious – furious that Damon has used their relationship to keep her out of the battle, furious that she allowed him to. She hates that her feelings for him, whatever they are, have brought her to be distracted from a moment like this.

She hates that he lied and she hates that he was probably right to do it. She is furious that while she should only be worried _only _about her friends, she wonders how Klausis dealing with the death of his brothers.

They sneak into Elena's house through the back door. Tyler winces when Caroline and Damon make their entrance together. Instinctively, the blonde inches away from the vampire and gives a quick hug to Bonnie before whispering words of comfort to Elena. The witch looks exhausted – probably the consequences of the demanding spell she performed.

Jeremy, Matt and Tyler are sitting in a corner. Stefan is pacing around the room like a lunatic. He's out of his mind, it's plain for everyone to see. Caroline feels her nervousness grow as she realizes that it's the first time she's seen Stefan so agitated. The despair in his eyes makes her aware of the gravity of the situation.

"Stefan," she whispers softly. "Everything's going to be okay."

"I can't take her to the hospital," he mumbles. "The Originals are outside the house. Sage and two other vampires are with them. We can't get out. Doctors can't get in. We're trapped."

Damon immediately understands his brother's hesitation. They are in a tricky predicament – feeding Elena vampire blood exposes her at serious risk of becoming a vampire, and she's made it clear that it's the last thing she wants. On the other hand, if they don't find a solution very quickly, she's going to bleed to death.

"I think you're probably gonna want to let me in," they hear Klaus growl from the street.

Tyler and Damon, despite the animosity between them, move as one, quickly rushing to the windows to see Elijah sitting on the ground in uncharacteristic exhaustion, and Rebekah sobbing next to him. Sage and two men are in front of the door. Klaus is standing there, his face harder than ever. The hybrid looks around, visibly trying to find something to throw at them. It doesn't take long for him to set his sights on a white picket fence from across the street.

"That can't be good," Damon mumbles as he gets back to the kitchen where everyone else is gathered. "We need to find a way to get out of here. _Now_."

A few seconds after, a football breaks through the door and hits Damon. Caroline's eyes widen as Stefan yells to get down and carries Elena from the couch to the back of the kitchen. They all gather there, except for Damon. He doesn't want to let Klaus win. He has Caroline and Elena has Stefan and he's kinda sorta becoming friends with the witch so _he will not let anyone ruin this. _

While the girls try to maintain the pressure on Elena's neck and keep her awake, the boys do their best to find a way to get out. Their urgent conversation is interrupted when Klaus throws a white picket into the wall, missing Damon by a few inches. Caroline gasps. This is everything she never wanted. This is a nightmare.

"Missed me," the blue-eyed vampire growls as he retrieves the projectile and sends it back to Klaus.

A second picket – turned into a stake this time, she notices – lands into the wall.

"Missed me again," Damon gloats.

Caroline shakes her head at his cockiness, but frowns when she sees him lose his smirk.

"He's going to burn the house down," he exclaims, panic breaking through his voice. "Do we have any more stakes?"

Klaus smirks with undisguised satisfaction, causing Damon to muffle a groan.

"Sorry to disappoint mate, but that secret weapon of yours is burning as we speak."

Damon throws an outraged look at Stefan, who silently nods to the living room – Tyler did manage to bring back a few pieces of the white oak tree. There are five of them. The brothers look at each other for a while, as if communicating via telepathy. They just need to find a way to get out long enough to kill Klaus. The other vampires are less of a danger, and Elijah and Rebekah aren't that much of an immediate danger.

"If you happen to have one left, come on," Klaus says, opening his arms wide. "Kill me. I won't be there to notice, but the consequences should be quite interesting."

As if on cue, Sage starts coughing. Her eyes are blood-injected and soon enough she's on her knees spitting blood. Her two companions as well.

Seeing the look on Damon's face, Stefan leaves Elena's side for a second to witness the puzzling events. He meets Klaus' eye for a second – the Hybrid looks all too pleased with himself. The three vampires fall to his feet, struggling to breathe and turning to grey within moments.

"What the Hell?" Damon mumbles. "What's this?"

Stefan's face drops when he finally puts two and two together. _This can't be. _

"It's the blood," he groans, pinching his nose. "Finn turned Sage, and Caroline said she turned this guy. We killed Kol, and his 'friend' just died. If you kill an Original, you kill his entire bloodline."

Klaus laughs – the sound makes everyone's blood run cold as they understand the implications of this. If they are all still alive, it means their Original Sire is alive as well.

"We have to stop," Stefan admits, completely defeated.

Caroline bites her lip, trying hard to focus. Damon sired her. Katherine sired Damon and Stefan. Rose sired Katherine, from what she knows. But she can't get any further than that – who sired Rose?

"Klaus sired me," Tyler suddenly says, echoing her thoughts. "If you kill him, I'm going to die."

Obviously, they can't kill Klaus anymore. But Klaus can and will kill them all – they've taken his two brothers away from him.

"We're not going to kill Klaus," she says blankly. "You're not gonna die, Tyler."

Damon scoffs – that girl and her big heart. He watches her scan through that room, her eyes landing on the broken glass scattered all around the floor and Elena's blood all over the place. He watches her bite her lip when she notices Bonnie's empty expression and the terror in Jeremy's eyes. Finally, she looks at Stefan, who's on the edge of breaking down and Tyler, who is obviously regretting he came back to town_. _

"I know what to do," she suddenly says, causing the others to stop and stare for a while.

"Okay, what's the plan, Blondie?" Damon asks.

"Elena needs blood," she says, her voice suddenly authoritarian.

Before anyone has time to protest, Caroline bites into her wrist and brings it to her friend's mouth. This is a life-changing decision she's making, without the approval of anyone, but it's the right thing to do. She'd rather have Elena hate her and be alive than no Elena at all. Her heart's still in recovery from her father's loss, from the failure of her relationship with Tyler, from the emotional rollercoaster she's been on with Damon and Klaus himself. She _cannot _handle losing someone right now. When she feels like Elena has had enough blood, she gets to her feet and heads to the door.

Damon's hand blocks her path.

"What's the plan, Care?" he says again.

She doesn't have a plan. She only has hope – the foolish, _foolish _hope that whatever there was going on between her and Klaus still means something in the light of what happened today. She hates to use this, but if that's what it takes to save the people she loves, then so be it. Decisions need to be made, and she realizes now that _she _has to be the one to make them.

"You guys stay here," she whispers. "Or he will kill you."

"What makes you think he won't kill _you?_"

During these two seconds where Caroline locks eyes with Damon, he knows that something is about to hit him. It's in the way her glowing blue eyes have turned dull, in the way she bites her lip to suppress the sobs. Yes, this is the next best thing to the apocalypse, and it's a disaster but he knows her. And he sees in her eyes everything he's been denying for the last few hours: there is something between Caroline and Klaus. Something more than the time she spent with the hybrid to protect all of them, more than the friendship of sorts she told him about.

The blonde stops for a second and makes sure nobody can see her from outside. Her trembling hands caress his face as she gives him a sad smile and mouths the words _I love you, Damon. _His eyes widen slightly, taken aback by the confession. Because it's the first time – the first time _ever_ – that a woman has said those words to him, _before_ he said them. He didn't have to earn it, didn't have to fight for it. She just gave it to him, because this is what love should be: a gift with no expectations. He opens his mouth to answer but she silences him with a bittersweet kiss.

She doesn't know how it happened or why, but she does know one thing: Damon got under her skin. Because he's cocky, and self-centred and because he never gives her what she wants when she wants it. Because he challenges her and calls her _Barbie _and treats her like a child sometimes. Because he's immature but wants to be with her for more than 'here and now'. She loves him, in all of his perfect imperfection.

_I love you_, she mouths again. _Remember that. _Damon nods stupidly as she takes a step away from him. He doesn't understand anything anymore. _Caroline loves him – then why is she speeding outside the house? Why are her eyes glistening?_

Caroline casts a look at her friends with a reassuring smile, takes a deep breath and takes one step outside. She meets Klaus' eyes meet briefly as he stands there with a burning newspaper in one hand and a can of gas in the other.

She doesn't recognize this man – his face is distorted with anger. Of course, Klaus wouldn't agree to a truce. Of course, the death of two brothers wouldn't stop his burning rage and thirst for revenge. He's ready to kill. He couldn't be more different from the man she kissed just a few hours before and she can't help but feel like she's responsible for this relapse.

"Klaus," she calls quietly. "You have to stop. I'm begging you," she chokes. "You _promised_ me."

Klaus inhales sharply to stop himself from shaking. As he looks at her, he sees nothing but the proof that his shameful need to be loved would always be his greatest weakness. How could he be so blind? When he was with her, it was like walking on water – something magical. He fell for her blue eyes and her radiant smile; he believed he could change his ways for that girl, after one silly kiss. _And all this time, she was plotting to destroy him. Maybe the kiss was part of the plan._

"How dare you address me?" he growls. "How _dare_ you?"

His darkened blue orbs lower to meet hers, and her heart sinks at the hurt she can see there. She remembers the dreamy look on his face when she slowly broke away from their kiss and wants nothing more than bring it back.

"You fooled me twice, Caroline Forbes," he hisses. "All this pretending. I should have seen it coming – shame on me."

"When I kissed you last night, was I pretending?"

Caroline does her best to ignore Damon's audible gasp. She swallows and inhales deeply, looking straight into Klaus' eyes. He blinks as he remembered the tension that gripped his body when they kissed. She takes advantage of his momentary weakness to grab the newspaper from his hand and send it inside the house for Damon to take care of it.

"Nik", she calls weakly. "You can't kill them."

"Is that so?" he asks mockingly. "Give me _one_ good reason."

The blonde wastes no time. She drowns out the sound of Stefan asking her to come back inside, Tyler's voice saying that she's lost her mind, Bonnie and Damon's silence. She takes a step closer to Klaus and deliberately puts a hand on his chest.

"Because if you hurt any of them, I'll never let myself love you," she whispers.

Klaus remains silent. He refuses to register that she's just used the word "love". Refuses to register the tears in her eyes that get to him in spite of everything. _What if he decided to let them go, would she love him, then? _

"Do you want revenge more than you want to be with me?" she asks, her voice quivering.

"I am _not_ making a deal with you. I've learnt the hard way that you are a gifted liar," he says.

Caroline shakes her head in disbelief.

"Everything isn't a power struggle, Klaus," she exclaims angrily. "If you want to, we can leave together right now. You can show me the genuine beauty of the world."

Klaus once again remains silent and Caroline notices that Elijah has apparently regained composure. He walks up to them slowly and puts a soothing hand on his brother's shoulder. He glances at Caroline for a long time, probably trying to determine whether she can be trusted or not. After a while, he speaks quietly.

"I want this over. I want time to mourn my brothers serenely."

"_They_ are the reasons we have brothers to mourn," Klaus growls, his eyes burning through Caroline to Stefan, Damon and Tyler.

"This is your chance, Niklaus," he insists. "Leave with her. Bekah and I will see you in a decade or two."

to be continued ...

* * *

><p><strong>an : First off, my most sincere apologies for making you wait so long. A bunch of crap happened, I had exams, and I had these two little things where I got to hang out with some hot males from the TVD cast, ya know? Anyway, the conventions are finished (sighhhhh), exams are done (THANK GOD) and now I'm fully available.**

**This chapter didn't turn out the way I wanted it to, but here it is. It's officially the end of the first part of the story ... How do you imagine the story unfolding from now on? What about the hint of Bamon friendship, Elena having vampire blood in her system, Elijah encouraging Klaus to take off with Caroline AND OF COURSE Caroline's confession of love to Damon?**

**I'm so grateful for any of you who's still reading and reviewing this. **


	11. Turning Tables

**11. Turning Tables**

"We're running late," Damon groans for the third time as he glances at his watch.

He's been pacing back and forth in front of her bedroom door for more than twenty minutes now, and he's not particularly known for his patience. He has bothered to be here on time, only to be told that she had a last minute change of heart about her dress.

"I'll be out in a minute," she throws in breathlessly.

_That's what you said ten minutes ago_, he thinks to himself, slightly amused by the biggest lie ever invented by women. This is a big night, and he doesn't want to give her a single reason to back out.

"I'm coming in," he announces as he kicks the door open.

He doesn't want her to miss a moment of it, so he decides to storm into her bedroom and carry her out on his shoulder if he has to.

Damon lets himself inside the bedroom to find her staring at herself in the mirror, and the sight before him completely annihilates any desire he had to complain about her lateness.

"Wow," he whispers, loud enough to be heard.

The rich forest green dress that she has picked would require a plethora of adjectives, but the first that comes to his mind is: mind-blowing. Just the right length, just the right colour, just the right _everything_. He smirks appreciatively at her, causing her to roll her eyes.

"Looking hot, Bennett," he finally says. "You've just become the favourite for Prom Queen."

Bonnie chuckles lightly, her eyes shining with discreet pride. Actually, she'd been expecting such a comment from him. With Damon, she was always prepared for meaningless flirting – that's just who he is, he can't help himself. It's just a nice way to tell her she was right to switch dresses.

"Thanks," she finally says, avoiding his eyes. "Zip me?"

Damon does as he's told and ties the small bouquet of flowers he's brought her around her wrist.

"You look beautiful," he says softly, making eye contact with her in the mirror as his hands come to rest on her bare shoulders.

The young witch smiles gratefully, allowing herself to look at him. The vision of Damon in a suit might qualify as heavenly for most women, but all she sees is that he's making an effort, for her. Because he doesn't want her to be alone tonight, and she doesn't have words to say how much she appreciates it.

"But seriously, Bon," he complains, "Did you really _have to _change dresses ten times?"

"Caroline picked the dress I was wearing before," she simply says, trying her best to sound detached.

He doesn't miss on the shadow passing over her eyes – this moment and everything it represents only makes the lack of Caroline harder to deal with. He can't begin to imagine how many sleepless nights the girls spent discussing outfits and accessories for their Senior Prom.

She doesn't have to put words on it, because he, too, feels Caroline's presence lingering between them. For a second, he allows himself to wonder where she is, what she's doing. However, he keeps the _real _interrogation at a distance: is she still with Klaus?

"We should stay home," Bonnie says suddenly, bringing him out of his gloomy reverie. "We don't have to do this."

For a moment, Damon considers letting her have her way. It could be just another night of the Witch and the Vampire watching bad television and avoiding sensitive subjects. There would be Bourbon for him and wine for her, a ridiculous amount of junk food, and there'd be no mention of the blonde that had broken their hearts. It is a seducing idea, but he is tired of running.

He slowly spins Bonnie around and cups her cheeks with his hands in an affectionate, but firm gesture. She allows a small smile to form on her lips.

"This is what you're not gonna do," he says firmly. "You are _not_ letting her ruin another day of your life, you hear me? It's been nine months, Bonnie. It's time to move on."

Bonnie looks into his pale blue eyes and marvels at the determination she sees there, despite the unhidden hurt those words must have caused him.

She's been there with him every step of the way after Caroline's unexpected departure. Through his phases of anger and depression, after the sadness and moments of hope – she knows that this pains him as much as it does her. But somehow, she finds beauty in the resolve he puts in convincing _her_ to let go. It's selfless, and she likes that he can still surprise her with glimpses of the man he doesn't allow himself to be anymore, except around her.

"You're a good friend, Damon," she says softly.

A smile ghosts over his lips for a second as he lets the compliment climb up the emotional walls he's build around his heart.

"I am your _date _tonight, Miss Bennett," he reminds lightly. "I'll make you dance until you drop and then I'll carry you on the way back."

She laughs heartily, letting the tension subside. He is right – she has to start living again. And she can't think of a better way to do that than indulge in a wild night with Damon Salvatore. He is the very last person on Earth she thought she could call a friend, but he has become a part of her daily life, and she has stopped questioning it a long time ago.

As Damon elegantly offers his arm to lead the way outside, they reminisce about the tragic way life brought them together.

_Standing frozen, Damon stared at the empty space where Caroline stood just seconds ago. "I love you, Damon. Remember that." This warm, kind, solar woman was in love with him, in spite of everything, after everything. "When I kissed you last night, was I pretending?" So, she was with Klaus last night, and they kissed – no, she kissed him – and she wasn't pretending. _

_And now she was gone. _

_He distractedly glanced around him, feeling completely detached from the situation – it was like everyone is in slow motion, in a silent movie. Jeremy's face was flooded with tears, and he seemed to be screaming. Tyler and Matt hadn't moved, but Stefan was running to Elena's side. _

_And Caroline was gone. _

_Damon felt a warm hand touching his arm, reconnecting him with reality. The sounds returned and he winced at the chaos around him. The house was a mess, there was blood everywhere. Apparently, Elena wasn't breathing. Still, he couldn't bring himself to move – to care._

"_Damon," Bonnie said softly. "Damon, can you hear me?"_

_He didn't look at her, didn't react to the sound of her voice. He saw blonde hair and blue eyes instead, felt soft hands in his hair, admired rosy lips saying "I love you, Damon. Remember that". _

_Bonnie's eyes hardened when Damon let himself fall to his knees, completely numb. He was broken. She hesitated for a second, wondering if she should leave him to his numbness and help the others with Elena. But what to do? She had vampire blood in her system, and her fatal wound had been caused by a vampire bite. She was coming back. Everyone was gathered around her. _

_But Caroline was gone and Damon was broken. _

_She was too focused on him to realize that she had just lost her best friend to the incarnation of Evil, or more accurately, that her best friend had willingly walked out on them and into the sunset with said incarnation of Evil. She hadn't had time to process that yet another of her loved one was turning into something she despised. She just thought about what she could do right now, and that was taking care of Damon._

"_She loves me," he whispered hoarsely. "Caroline, she loves me."_

"_I know, Damon," she replied softly. "I know."_

_Silence settled in for a few long seconds as Stefan carried Elena's body to the couch. They all gathered around her, and Bonnie walked Damon to a chair nearby. _

_They couldn't even look at each other as they mentally replayed the events of the past hour which had led to this chaos. They had failed. Each and every one of them, and together, they had failed. Two Originals down, yes, but to what price? Elena's humanity and Caroline's freedom. _

"_We need to do something," Stefan said, his voice filled with urgency. "We can't let Elena—"_

_The mention of her name casted another shadow onto the group of friends, and they all remained silent as the green-eyed Salvatore ran a hand through his hair. Bonnie noticed that he couldn't tear his eyes away from Elena's body and felt for him – however, she still couldn't bring herself to feel bad about it._

"_It's too late," she just said, instead of "This was bound to happen sooner or later"._

"_She's gonna wake up, right?" Jeremy asked after drying his tears. "Right?"_

_Matt nodded and gave him a friendly tap on the back. Bonnie couldn't help but feel angry that, in the midst of all this, Matt – human Matt, breakable Matt – is the one who looked less shattered. The supernatural had infiltrated their lives so much, that even those who weren't part of this world were accurately acquainted with it._

"_We have to do something," Stefan argued heatedly, as if the silence was too much for him to handle after such mayhem. "We just lost Elena, we can't let Caroline go."_

_Damon looked up to his brother for the first time since everything cooled down. With her hand on his shoulder, Bonnie felt him tense in response to Stefan's agitation._

"_We didn't lose Elena," he said dryly. "Caroline made sure she wouldn't die so get over yourself."_

_Stefan didn't answer – because what could he say? Even if Elena never wanted to become a vampire, a part of him was secretly rejoicing that Caroline had been brave enough to make that decision for him. Seeing Elena lying there, dead (if only for a moment), made him realize how much he loved her, and how stupid it was to wait for things to fix themselves between the two of them. As soon as she opened her eyes, he decided, he'd tell her: how much he loved her, how he'd never forgive himself for what he'd done to her but how he hoped that she could find it in her heart to give him a second chance. _

_And he had Caroline to thank for that. _

"_I'm going to see Klaus," Stefan announced. _

_That's when Damon completely snapped back to reality and got to his feet to stop his brother. _

"_You're not going anywhere," Damon said. "If anyone's going to get her back, it's me."_

_He didn't want Stefan involved in this. Partly because he was afraid of what Klaus might do to his brother, but also because Caroline was his damsel in distress to rescue. He'd been her saviour many times before, and there was no reason it should be any different this time. _

_However, Bonnie blocked his path. Her eyes were determined as she challenged the eldest Salvatore. Damon rolled his eyes at her. One minute she was supportive, the next, she was a pain in the ass. Typical Bonnie._

"_Neither of you is going anywhere," she said sternly. _

"_Out of the way, witch," he threatened. "Don't make me hurt you."_

"_Don't make me hurt you, Damon," she fired back. "I can stop you, and you know I will."_

_Everyone noticed how cold and detached she seemed, but she didn't care. She was tired of losing people, and she was sick of caring so damn much. It ended right there, right now. If Caroline wanted to give up on everything she had ever known, everyone she had ever loved to take a stupid chance on Klaus, then so be it. If this was the kind of person that her best friend had become, then Bonnie refused to shed a single tear for her._

"_Caroline chose to go with Klaus," she said. "It's her decision. And I decide that all of us are going to stay safe and alive. Together."_

"_She's sacrificing herself to save us," Stefan exclaimed. "How do you not see that?"_

"_How do you ignore that she kissed him? That she might have feelings for him?" Bonnie argued. _

_That's when Damon sat back into the couch._

* * *

><p>It hurts like Hell, every hour of every day – but only when she allows herself to think about it. When she gets weak, she reminisces about her sleepovers with Bonnie and Elena, and she sees Damon's face. And in these moments, she resents herself for being across the world with Klaus because she actually <em>enjoys<em> her new life.

It's been monuments and new food, first class planes and magnificent hotels. It's been a whirlwind of colours and music and above all, it's been Klaus' smile and his arms around her and his lips in the hollow of her neck…

But today is different. Here she is, in Italy after weeks of intensive Italian lessons, sipping nice Chianti in Pisa, and yet, it's the first time she's felt so sad to be far from home.

"Earth to Caroline?" Klaus calls and she's glad she has her sunglasses on so he can't see her melancholy eyes.

"I'm sorry," she apologizes with a small smile. "I was just … thinking, you know?"

The blonde looks up from her plate of _pasta alla Genovese_ to meet piercing blue eyes. Klaus slowly intertwines his fingers to hers on the table, his thumb brushing on the back of her hand. The gesture is infinitely tender and she bites her lip.

Some girls would kill to be in her place, with this man – she should be able to see past her old life.

"Is something bothering you, my love?" he asks. "We can go elsewhere, if you'd like."

_How about going home? _

She's been trying her best to keep smiling, because, damn it, she's visiting Pisa and that's always been one of her dreams, but the weight of the past is crushing her. Because this day wasn't supposed to be like this – as perfect as Italy is, she was supposed to be wearing a beautiful red dress and be crowned Prom Queen with Bonnie and Elena on her side.

But of course, she can't tell him that.

They never talk about Mystic Falls – it's an agreement. When they left town, they chose to pretend like they had no past, and Caroline hasn't pronounced her friends' name in nine months.

The only connections they still have to Mystic Falls are the drawings of her that Klaus makes of her – at the Eiffel Tower, at Buckingham Palace, in front of the Kremlin. Every time they get somewhere new, he draws a picture that he sends to her mother, just to let her know that her daughter is alive and well. He says _family above all, sweetheart_ every time she objects and she doesn't argue with him. She likes the idea that her mother can sleep at night seeing her radiant smile – she's going places and growing into more than just small town Caroline. _But she wants to be a small town girl._

Klaus clears his throat to catch Caroline's attention. She's been quiet all day, and he fears the moment he's been dreading for nine months has finally come. He allows himself to go back to when it all started, giving her time to collect herself.

"_Trust me," Caroline said softly, infusing as much tenderness in her voice as she could without breaking. "We can do this if we're together."_

_A bitter chuckle escaped Klaus' lips as Elijah walked Rebekah to her bedroom. His heart clenched at the sight of his baby sister in such a wretched state, but he knew he had never been good at comforting her, so he decided to let Elijah handle this while he focused on the other blonde bombshell of his life._

"_Trust you?" he snorted. "All this time, you've been plotting behind my back, lying, cheating."_

"_Then why am I here?" she asked defiantly. "Why am I here with you and not throwing a victory party?"_

"_For them," he thundered. "For him."_

_His voice broke infinitesimally on the last word, and she swallowed._

"_For all of you," she corrected. "I choose all of you. I want you to be the man I've grown to care about, and I want them alive."_

"_This is the difference between you and I, Caroline."_

_She noticed how coldly detached he sounded when he called her "Caroline" so formally, and her heart ached a little. She couldn't seriously hold it against him after the day they had, but it didn't hurt any less. She decided to drop it for a while and try a different angle. _

"_When I heard that it was Alaric who killed my dad, I wanted revenge," she explained softly. "I wanted him to pay for what he'd taken away from me. I wanted him to suffer."_

_Klaus remained silent, as he was experiencing the very same feelings. He wanted to hang them upside down and torture them day after day, until there wasn't the slightest will to live left inside of them. He wanted to tear Damon apart for ruining his only possibility to ever love and be loved._

"_I let go of my anger," Caroline continued. "Because revenge would have made me even with Alaric, when I wanted to be better."_

"_I do not care to be better," he growled._

_Caroline huffed under her breath. Even in a moment like this, she could see right through him, through the anger and the threats that would never come true. He was lying to her – he was lying to himself. _

"_Yes, you do," she stated. "Otherwise, we wouldn't be having this conversation."_

_Klaus clenched his teeth to control the wave of anger. Despite everything, Caroline had always had this uncanny ability to figure him out, no matter what. And once again, he thought she might have a point, after all. Being who he was had only led most of his family members to hate and betray him – and now they were dead. _

_Being better was the only chance he had to ever embrace the life he had been dreaming of for a thousand years. _

"_Maybe we should stop pretending," she continued, sensing his hesitation. "We both know that we have feelings for each other. I know I tried to fight, but I failed. So maybe it's time to start over together. Leave it all behind and be who we always wanted to be."_

_She was trying to convince herself, as much as him. She tried her best to believe that leaving Mystic Falls behind was everything she needed but never dared to think about. And it was not completely false – staying here, she would always have a shadow over her head: the shadow of who she used to be, and who she could have been. _

"_Who do you want to be?" he asked before he could help himself. "You never told me about those hopes and dreams of yours."_

_Caroline exhaled deeply, sensing that she was starting to get to him. For a while, it almost felt as if they were having another one of their nights together. Almost as if Elena was not currently transitioning into a vampire, as if her friends hadn't killed two of his brothers. As if she hadn't told Damon she loved him and walked away with someone else._

"_I could be the one who frees you from all this," she whispered. "I could be there for you, through the good and the bad, and never try to change you."_

Klaus snaps back to reality, wondering if she's realized that she has no interest in being there for him anymore. He has been expecting her to run every single day for nine months but she's been there, by his side, never looking back and never questioning her decision to start a new life with him.

"Caroline, love," he pushes softly. "Are you alright?"

The blonde forces a smile onto her lips once again.

"Your pasta is _so _much better than this," she says, nodding to her plate. "_Possiamo andare?"_

Without further discussion, Klaus nods and drops a bill on the table. Caroline immediately gets to her feet and locks her right arm around his waist, causing him to imperceptibly relax – at least, she's not upset with him.

"Care to tell me what's the matter, now?" he asks as they stop to stare at each other.

"I don't want to talk," she whispers suggestively as her lips brush against his.

Klaus can't help a small smile as she grinds their bodies together. He even allows her lips to caress his own, letting her fingers tangle in his dirty blonde hair.

"Now, you're just trying too hard, _amore_," he teases. "I see right through you."

Caroline groans. She used to be convinced she could distract a man from any conversation with a few kisses and her flirty eyes. Well, with Klaus it's entirely different. He's an old soul – physical intimacy means something to him and he has quickly learned how to differentiate her genuine desire from her attempts at distracting him.

"And you aren't trying hard enough," she says reproachfully. "Lighten up, Nik!"

Klaus rolls her eyes and decides to take her sunglasses off. Unmistakably, he finds that her face bears the look of sadness she has only when she believes he is not looking and as he silently stares at her for a long while, he feels that she's losing her spark by the second.

His hands caress her cheeks as she keeps avoiding his eyes, and he rests his forehead against hers. Caroline inhales deeply – he's making it hard for her to keep her composure.

"I love you," Klaus whispers.

"Why are you so dramatic, all of a sudden?" she asks, trying to deflect, but deep down, she's on the edge of breaking down.

Those words never fail to soothe her heart – because yes, she loves him too. She loves that since she's been with him, she hasn't had to _long for _anything, because Klaus is so attentive that he anticipates and satisfies her every wish – the ones she expresses and the ones she can't admit to herself. She has a feeling that he's about to give her what she wants once again, although she hasn't told him a word about her heart's true concern.

"Just tell me if there's anything I can do to make it better," he insists. "You don't have to tell me what's on your mind if you don't want to."

Caroline stares at him, utterly amazed at how sweet and patient the man in front of her is. A year ago, she would have laughed if she'd been told that she'd fall in love with Klaus. A year ago, he was her worst nightmare, the #1 public enemy.

_But here we are, now. _

"It's Prom tonight," she finally confesses, trying to avoid his gaze but failing miserably. "Back home."

As soon as the words pass her lips, it's more than she can take – the tears are falling and there's nothing she can do to stop them. Her petite body silently shakes as she buries her head in his chest and he caresses her blonde hair soothingly.

Klaus exhales deeply as he accepts the ugly truth: whatever he does, wherever he takes her, he will never be able to change the fact that she misses her friends and her mother, that Mystic Falls will always be a part of her, just like it's a part of him.

"I'm sorry," she mumbles into his shirt as more tears roll down her cheeks. "I'm happy to be here with you, but you know, it's Prom, and I'd made plans with the girls about this for years and I-I just —"

He delicately brought her chin up and dried her tears. The benevolence in his eyes surprised her – she'd always been afraid to mention anything in relation to Mystic Falls, for fear that it might ignite his thirst for revenge again. Instead, all she can see in his eyes now is understanding and sympathy.

"You just feel like you're missing on something big," he says. "Something that matters to you."

She simply nods.

"If you get on the next plane, you can be there by 9pm," he observes with a smile.

Caroline's eyes widen – and he can't determine if it's from surprise or horror.

"You would – let me go?"

Klaus laughs softly at the genuine surprise in her voice. He's softened, it's true. After nine months with her, just the two of them, he feels like it's safe for him to trust her. She's never been his prisoner – she's chosen their every destination until now.

"My concern is more about you not coming back to me, love."

His tone is light, but Caroline senses the hint of insecurity behind his words and shakes her head. _Doesn't he know? Hasn't she made it clear?_

"I'm not going anywhere," she re-asserts firmly. "I love you, Nik."

"Just like you love your friends," he points out.

The blonde silently pulls out her phone from her purse and hands it to him. He throws a questioning look at her but feels allowed to browse through the messages.

Klaus knows he has promised not to hurt any of them, but when he browses through the empty inbox, he's the one who wants to fly to Mystic Falls to give them a piece of his mind.

"The difference is," she whispers sadly, "you love me back and they don't."

* * *

><p>"This is <em>really <em>a bad idea," Stefan grumbles as he fastens his seatbelt.

Sitting next to him on the plane, Elena rolls her eyes. She wants to pretend that she didn't hear him, but her senses have been so heightened since she turned that she can't.

Being a vampire is the last thing she wanted, but when she came back to life and saw Jeremy's tears of relief, she figured that it wasn't so terrible, after all. She was surrounded by people who would help her through the rough patch, and she was still here to look after her brother – she would _always _be there for him.

But of course, things haven't been going according to plan. It's taking her quite a long time to adapt to the requirements of this new undead state, but she's dealing. The kind of vampire that she is, is very similar to the human she was. When she was determined before, she's now the most stubborn of them all, which never fails to spark a few tensions between her and the rest of the group. One of the reasons why Stefan's the only one sitting here with her.

"We've talked about this, Stefan," she reminds. "You said—"

"I know what I said," he admits.

"_Where's Caroline?" was the first thing she asked after she broke away from Jeremy's hold. Her eyes anxiously roamed through the house, but she found no trace of the blonde. She noticed Bonnie and Damon sitting in a corner – together. She noticed the vampire's empty eyes and her friend's comforting hand on his shoulder. That's when she understood that something was wrong – a distinct feeling of powerlessness and fear overcame her as Stefan asked her to sit and calm down._

That feeling never left and her first instinct was to run after Caroline, but she was in transition, and it would have been the best way to get herself killed. She was confused, and scared, and worried – to death, no pun intended – so she let Tyler and Stefan talk her into taking care of herself first.

She managed to get Stefan to agree after many weeks of struggle. As soon as she could get her cravings under control and feed on human blood without losing it, as soon as she could learn to get a hold of herself in public, they would go looking for Caroline.

That's when Elena discovered that she could be obsessive.

She _cares too damn much_, as Damon says – which is why she's boarding this plane with Stefan, right now. Because for nine months, she has been focusing on becoming a harmless vampire so as to get rid of this weight in her stomach every time she thought about Caroline.

_Caroline Forbes, the very best friend one could wish for. Caroline Forbes, her Sire._

She can't begin to describe how incredibly grateful she is to Caroline for making such a tough decision in a situation like this. Had the roles been reversed, Elena isn't sure she would have been so brave. There hasn't been a day that she hasn't cried over the loss of her best friend, the very reason why she's still "alive".

"Stefan, you promised me we'd find her," she reminds. "She saved my life, I owe it to her to do the same."

Stefan sighs as his mind briefly thinks about how pissed Damon and Bonnie will be when they find out about their unplanned trip to Italy. He's been constantly weighing the pros and cons of this, trying to make the right decision for everyone.

Of course, he wants nothing more than bring Caroline back – he sees how her absence keeps breaking Damon every single day, how it ostracizes Bonnie from the rest of them. And truth be told, he feels like it's his duty to rescue her, because she's been brave for him and saved Elena.

But he was here – and Elena wasn't – when Caroline left with Klaus, when she walked out of there, hand in hand with him after confessing that, should he spare their lives, she could possibly love him someday.

"What if she doesn't _want_ saving?" he asks softly. "Have you thought about that?"

The young vampire vigorously shakes her head, sending her hair flying all around her in a childish way. There's been a clear split in the group since Bonnie and Damon have become friends, and Elena is still having a hard time accepting that none of them are willing to look for Caroline. This is the position that the witch and the vampire have adopted – they have chosen to believe that if Caroline needed help, she would have found a way to ask for it. But she believes otherwise.

"I just don't want you to be disappointed," Stefan whispers as she lets her head rest on his shoulder. "You need to be prepared for anything."

Elena carefully retrieves an envelope from her handbag and pulls a drawing out of it. Her fingertips brush against the rich parchment and she scrutinizes the picture, looking for any sign that Stefan might be right. And the more she stares at this portrait of Caroline staring at the tower of Pisa, the more she is convinced that her friends _needs_ rescuing.

Because she knows Caroline, and she knows the melancholy smile on her friends' lips: it's the sign that time is running out. That Caroline's tired of holding on to the past, and that she needs to be saved before she completely falls for this monster.

"I'm prepared," Elena assures. "And I'll save her."

**to be continued ...**

* * *

><p><strong>AN : here I am with a new chapter - it's not very eventful but it was necessary to start off with the second half of the story. We're nine months later and a few things have changed : Bonnie and Damon are friends and they're not looking for Caroline. Stefan and Elena - who knows if they're together - on the contrary, are doing their best to bring their friend back. And ... surprise : Caroline has conflicted feelings, while Klaus has stopped trying to NOT be in love with her. Do you think they'll find her? If yes, do you think she wants to be "saved"? ****Thank you for still being around ;)**


	12. One of These Nights

**12. One Of These Nights**

Stefan always thought that when he'd bring Elena to Italy, she'd marvel at the beautiful architecture, swoon over the accent and gain weight tasting every single variety of pasta she would find. He also believed they'd spend a significant amount of time kissing under the stars.

Well, it seems that life has decided otherwise.

_She_ convinced him to come, and she couldn't care less about the buildings or the food. As for the kissing, well, it's probably the very last thing she has on her mind as she paces back and forth in the hotel room she has agreed to share with him.

He silently studies her body language to assert which mood she's in. She can't stop running her hand through her long brown curls, and every now and then, she huffs under her breath, muttering _what are we gonna do_ and _we need to bring her back, Stefan_.

"Elena, please relax," he admonishes for the third time. "You need to feed."

Stefan sighs at the glare she sends him. He doesn't like being patronizing with her, but someone has to be. Back home, most of the others have been walking on eggshells around her since she turned, with the notable exception of Damon who never misses on an opportunity to fight with her. But someone needs to make sure she doesn't cross the line, and he owes it to her, especially now that he's in control of his own blood addiction.

"You should be figuring out a way to help Caroline instead of babysitting me," Elena replies dryly.

Stefan rolls his eyes – she reminds him of Katherine _so much_ when she gets. Whenever she doesn't feed properly, she gets on edge – faster than he does. It makes sense: paradoxically, the blood makes it easier for her to forget what she's become; it helps drown out the voice in her head telling her that she'll never be a mother, or that she'll be eighteen forever.

In all honesty, he's been having a hard time dealing with her heightened personality. If anything, being a vampire has made her just a little more reckless (meaning, a little harder to protect). Now that she's gained strength and rapidity, Elena believes that she can take care of herself just fine. She believes she has seen enough new-born vampires adapt to their undead "status" to know what she's doing.

It's true that she's never liked having people constantly bending over backwards to protect her, but now it properly infuriates her, which is the cause of many arguments with Damon, who still looks at her like a breakable little human. As for Stefan, well, he does his best to control his protectiveness, but she is making it hard for him.

She's still Elena, the kind of person who steps up to help others even when she doesn't have to; the kind of person who believes she can handle anything. However impressive Stefan finds it, the truth is that she was wrong when she was human, and she's still very much wrong right now.

"You can't focus unless you feed," he explains patiently. "So take a blood bag, and let's discuss our plan."

"We don't have time to discuss anything," she exclaims. "Every moment we spend here could be a moment she gets away from us!"

"Elena, I know how much you want to find her, and I do, too," Stefan says. "But we only have one stake left, and we need to be really careful."

"But you—"

The growing argument is interrupted by Stefan's phone vibrating on the night stand.

Damon.

He eyes Elena nervously – they knew this moment would come, but they still haven't agreed on which story to tell to account for their absence at Prom. Elena shakes her head as if to say: _don't tell him_. He slowly picks up the phone.

"_Please tell me Elena's about to show up," the blue-eyed vampire greets. "The witch is going nuts."_

Elena sits next to Stefan, frowning at Damon's tone – he sounds like he is actually enjoying himself for the first time in weeks, and she feels a smile surface on her lips as he keeps going on and on about Bonnie's "neurotic behaviour".

The young vampire almost regrets being half a world away from her friend that night, and a pang of guilt hits her so hard that her breath itches. Senior Prom was supposed to be a big deal. It was supposed to be the moment they'd leave the innocence of childhood to become women, and step into the world of adults. She and Matt were supposed to get married. Bonnie was supposed to spend a year abroad to improve her Spanish. Caroline was supposed to be Prom Queen.

Elena takes a deep breath as tears threaten to fall, focusing on Damon's voice through the phone instead.

"_Seriously, brother," Damon insists. "I'll sink my fangs into someone if you don't get your butt down here. I'm bored out of my mind and my date's too busy looking for yours to worry about it."_

Stefan takes a breath and disregards Elena's warning eyes.

"We're not coming, Damon," Stefan says, causing Elena to throw her hands in the air in frustration. "We're in Italy."

There's a long silence at the other end of the line, and Stefan closes his eyes, preparing himself for the screams and reproaches. Of course, Damon will be angry for a while, but he'll see that it was the right thing to do, some day.

"_It's about her, isn't it?" Damon asks roughly. "Do you have amnesia? She's been gone for nine months and hasn't contacted you _once_."_

Stefan notices how Damon never says "us", how he tries his best to distance himself from this, just like he does with everything Caroline-related. It pains him that his brother's been so deeply hurt that he has to get back to his old ways, but it's all the more reason to look for Caroline.

"I never contacted her either," Stefan points out. "None of us did."

"_She wouldn't hear the phone over the hot vamp sex she's having, anyway."_

Another typical Damon line, that Stefan doesn't even bother to comment on.

"We have to try," Stefan says with conviction. "I'll never forgive myself if something happens to her."

"_Why do you always have to be the hero, Stefan?" Damon growls._

"Because I, of all people, know that being around Klaus changes you," Stefan says. "He'll break her, Damon."

Damon remains silent for a while, and Stefan almost hopes he's managed to create a slight crack in his brother's armour. He foolishly hopes that Damon will finally drop the mask.

"She was broken from the moment she kissed him."

Damon's tone is cold, detached. Stefan can perfectly imagine his blue eyes staring right in front of him, glaring at anything and everything, wishing looks could kill so he could lash out and evacuate his frustration.

"Damon, I know you're—"

"_No, you don't," his brother cuts in. "You have no idea."_

It's Stefan's turn to fall silent. It's nothing but the truth – he never really lost love. Women have always longed for him; he never had to watch his beloved willingly offer her life to another man. So no, he doesn't know what it's like.

"Look," he begins. "Elena thinks she can—"

"_Elena doesn't think," Damon exclaims. "She's obsessing over this and you're letting her, but she's an _infant_! Even Vampire Barbie could kill her like that," he adds, snapping his fingers into the phone._

"I'll protect her."

"_Yeah? And you will protect you, uh?" Damon snorts. "It's dangerous for both of you. How could you be that selfish?"_

Stefan's breath gets stuck in his throat as he picks up on the slight change of pitch in Damon's voice. Beyond the initial annoyance and the rejection that comes with all topics "Caroline", Stefan can hear genuine concern and worry in his brother's voice.

"We'll be careful," Stefan says softly, hoping to soothe him a little.

"_I can't believe you let her drag you there."_

While the Salvatore brothers argue for the umpteenth time about the right way to "handle her", Elena decides to take matters into her own hands. Grabbing her phone, she instinctively finds Caroline's old number and feverishly types a stupid text. _Prom without you makes no sense. _

She might be pushing her luck, but at least she's doing something, which is always better than ignoring the problem, like Damon does, or thinking about it over and over, like Stefan does.

The last thing she hears from the conversation is Damon saying something along the lines of _You know what, Stefan? Whatever happens from now on is on you and your pain-in-the-ass-girlfriend. _The word "girlfriend" causes her heart to clench for a second, then she snaps back to her present concern.

* * *

><p>Standing on the balcony of their nuptial suite, with her lover's arms tightly wrapped around her waist from behind, Caroline contemplates the view as Pisa lies at her feet. The sunset light makes everything seem so unreal that she has to pause several times to ask herself if she's dreaming, at the same time worrying that she might wake up and wishing she would open her eyes to her own bedroom.<p>

"It's almost time, love," Klaus whispers in her ear, in a voice so soft that he almost doesn't hear it.

She shivers against him and intertwines their fingers, letting him feel just how nervous this entire situation makes her. She still isn't over her melancholy moment from earlier that day, and knowing that they're about to take another significant step in their relationship, _just today_, doesn't make it any easier.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" she mumbles, causing him to laugh.

He inhales the sweet smell of her hair, identifying strawberry and honey from her favourite shampoo. He never gets tired of having her so close – every time, it feels like the first and the last time. Every touch, every kiss with her is beautifully bittersweet, and that's what makes her so precious.

"Do I need to remind you whose idea it was, to begin with?" he teases.

"I don't know what I was thinking," she groans in frustration.

Klaus slowly spins her around and can't help a small laugh as he takes in her typical _I'm terribly upset at myself right now_ face with her eyebrows scrunched together and her pouty lips.

"I am not entirely sure myself," he says, once again teasing her. "But you can be quite a nuisance when you don't get what you want, so I haven't objected."

Caroline smacks his shoulder playfully and opens her mouth to answer when she feels her phone buzzing in the pocket of her jeans. The sound is so unusual that it's deafening to her and she freezes, her mouth open, her hand caught in mid-air. Klaus frowns slightly, however losing nothing of his careless attitude, and grabs her phone for her, handing to her with a smirk.

He does his best to remain stoic about it, but his first thought is: _what if it's Damon_? What if the poor chap has finally realized, after nine months of denial, that his life has no meaning without Caroline? What if he's decided to chase them across the globe until he finds her, makes her see sense and brings her home?

"Well," he drawls. "Either you've met a _ragazzo _that I'll hunt down and kill right away, or someone you've been thinking about, has been thinking about you, too."

The blonde remains silent as she processes his words and tries to wrap her head around what's happening. She's kept that same phone and that same number as they travelled across the world, in case one day, someone might get over their anger and call. She expected Stefan and Elena to beg her to come back, hoped Damon would text, foolishly believed Bonnie would leave an angry voicemail.

But none of that happened, and although she kept the phone, she stopped waiting and decided to focus on what she had – and that was her relationship with Klaus.

Klaus clears his throat, and she blinks.

"If it is indeed a _ragazzo_, I strongly recommend that you don't tell me," Klaus adds playfully as he puts the phone under her nose. "You know I don't like to share."

She weakly rolls her eyes at him and grabs her phone with shaky hands. She inhales deeply, never breaking eye-contact with him, and suddenly decides that she doesn't want to open that door if all she's gonna get is pain.

She turns the screen towards him.

"It could be private," he objects.

_It could be Damon_, they both think.

"I have no secret for you," she says dismissively.

Somehow, it's true. For the past nine months, they have been together every moment of every day and he's been there to witness her every mood swing. He's held her through the tears and made her laugh. He's surprised her and infuriated her, comforted her and whispered sweet nothings into her ear when she woke up from her nightmares.

But somehow, saying that she has no secret for him is a lie. There is something she keeps locked in her heart, something she'll take with her to the grave, shall she ever die. There's this little place in her heart that preciously keeps the memory of Damon, safe from harm, from reality, from everything. But that part of her is so deeply buried that Klaus can't possibly suspect its existence.

She stares into his blue eyes for a moment, almost mistakes them for others, feels the past gnawing at her in a way she didn't expect. This text could change everything; upset the balance they've struggled to build together.

"We could just throw the bloody phone away," Klaus suggests, sensing her discomfort.

"No! Read the message," she urges. "But don't – don't tell me if it's bad."

"Your wish is my command, sweetheart," he says as his eyes rapidly browse through the text. "It's from Elena and it reads _Prom without you makes no sense_."

Klaus stares at her as her eyes fill with tears. His undead heart clenches at the undecipherable mix of emotions struggling on her pretty face, knowing that he's powerless in the face of this. He slowly opens her hand and drops the phone in it, unsure of what to say.

Caroline slowly lowers her eyes to the screen and takes a sharp intake of air. Elena is alive. Elena is alive, and she's fine enough to go to Prom. Elena still thinks about her, even if she's been silent for nine months. Elena still thinks about her like that insane girl who picked Prom Dresses even before they went to High School. _Elena misses her. _

But almost immediately, other questions assault her mind. Is she ready to let Elena back into her life? Is she ready to face the consequences of her departure from Mystic Falls? Is she willing to risk disturbing the fragile balance she has reached with Klaus?

"What should I do?" she whispers nervously.

She is very aware that it's weak of her to ask him: it's her phone, and her friend. It should be her decision. But they've become one – his mood swings affect her, and her nightmares keep him awake at night. Whatever she decides to do, it'll have an effect on him.

Klaus pauses for a second.

It means quite a lot to him, that she consults him before making such a decision. Of course, they've been close – they've been each other's _everything_ for nine months. But when she chose to leave with him back then, her friends' lives were threatened and although he'd never admit it to her face, he's been wondering if she would still choose him, today.

_I guess I just got my answer. _

"You should answer," he encourages, figuring that if there's ever a moment to be selfless, it's now. "Tell her you miss her, and don't forget to gloat about the wonderful places you've visited."

Caroline laughs softly; he knows her so well.

Klaus drops a tender kiss on her forehead. Now that he knows she isn't going to flee the first chance she gets, he doesn't feel as bad walking away from her.

"Meet me downstairs when you're done, love," he says as he steps back. "Take your time."

"Okay," she mumbles distractedly, already scrunching her eyebrows as she tries to think of a clever way to answer that text message.

For a moment, he simply stares at her, and wonders how nine ridiculous months with this girl have given him an entirely different perspective on life. How she managed to teach him that it is okay to be imperfect, that he can be wanted and loved for everything he is. How she abandons herself to his care, and how she relies on him every day, giving his life a purpose that has nothing to do with violence or threats or deaths, for a change.

When he thinks about who he's been for nine months, with Caroline, Klaus believes this is the man he would have become if Mikael hadn't driven a sword through his heart.

There's only one side of him that he has yet to reconnect with, but once again, the blonde has taken care of that, too.

Klaus grabs his jacket to get to the main hall of the hotel, willing to give her a few minutes of privacy, in case she should make a phone call.

"May I suggest something, though?" he adds. "It'd be wise to keep this between us, don't you agree?"

"Seriously? But Nik," she exclaims in a mock child-like voice, drawing the vowel to its maximum. "I thought talking about Elena would be the best way to bond with your psycho sister who hates me."

Klaus simply laughs – Caroline has been incredibly anxious about meeting Rebekah in this new set of circumstances, while he's been merely amused by this entire situation and the overwhelming _humanity_ of it all.

"I'll save you the seat next to Elijah," he informs as he heads out.

"Thank you. Seems safer," she jokes. "I'll be downstairs in a minute."

As soon as the door is closed, her smile disappears.

* * *

><p>Damon takes a deep breath as he spots Bonnie across the room, feverishly scanning through the crowd, looking for Elena. He's been avoiding her for the past fifteen minutes, trying to get it together and find a decent lie to explain her friend' absence, but came up blank. Truth be told, his brain can't seem to function properly. His conversation with his brother left him shaken and agitated.<p>

The fact that Stefan is in the same city as Caroline at the moment makes it impossible for him to focus on anything, at all. The fact that she's suddenly become a part of his world again, so unexpectedly, troubles him; especially since he was finally willing to work on letting go of her and every possibility that she used to represent.

His gloomy thoughts are interrupted when Bonnie snaps her fingers under his nose. He's been so lost in his own world that he didn't see her coming around. His vision refocuses as he lowers his gaze and takes in her impatient features.

_How am I going to tell her?_

"This night sucks," she huffs. "Did I mention Jeremy is here with a girl?"

Damon internally rolls his eyes at Bonnie's irritability. Her relationship with Jeremy has been over _forever_, and she's made it clear that she doesn't care about him like that anymore. He's grown to know her well enough to understand that she just needs an excuse to be frustrated.

"It always surprises me that _anyone_ would date that kid," he says with a smirk. "But hey, at least it's not a ghost, he's making progress."

"Do _not _start with me, Damon," she threatens with a deathly glare. "And _where_ are your brother and Elena, anyway?"

_Uh-oh. _

Damon pursues his lips together as she glares at him, sensing that she can tell he's about to upset her further. There's a shift in her eyes as she goes from annoyed to concerned, and he wonders what are the right words to tell her.

_Hey Bon', remember when I said it was time to forget about that blonde we used to know? Well, I take that back, my stupid brother and your substitute BFF are bringing her back._

As Bonnie huffs impatiently, Damon lets the words pass his lips in their simplest form.

"They're not coming. They're in Italy."

For a moment, Damon almost laughs at her mad eyes and her hands firmly planted on her hips – if he didn't know better, he'd expect smoke to filter from her ears at any moment, in the most cartoonesque of ways. She starts tapping her foot annoyingly slow – a sign that she's about to explode.

"What exactly do you mean, they're in Italy?" Bonnie asks, narrowing her eyes at him. "What are they _doing_ in Italy, _tonight_, and why haven't they told me they were going?"

Damon rolls his eyes at that question – he wishes he had been notified, too. So he could have stopped them, or gone with them. He isn't sure which one it is. He opens his mouth to form a sentence but she interrupts him, holding her palm up.

Bonnie takes a step towards him, and he feels himself grow uneasy as she invades his private space in a way that he's done to her too many times.

"_Since when have you known about this, Damon?_"she says through her teeth, her voice vibrant with anger.

"It's been exactly seventeen minutes and forty-eight seconds," he answers mechanically, willing to buy himself the most time he can. "FYI, I didn't get an invite, either."

The young witch stares at him for a while, trying to assess whether he's telling the truth or not. They have been around each other long enough for her to call his bluff, but as he holds her gaze, she sees no sign of his usual arrogance or jackassery – he's as surprised as she is, and obviously, just as pissed.

She takes a step back, letting him know that he's off her Hit List, for now.

"If Elena's not coming, I'm leaving," she says sadly. "And you need to explain why they're in Italy."

She expects him to retort something about how she's so ungrateful that he's cleared his schedule for her and his usual bullshit, but he simply nods and silently offers his arm to lead the way outside. She takes it and lets him push past the crowd of teenagers, feeling cruelly estranged from them.

"This was supposed to be the best night of our lives," she whispers.

Damon stops for a second, as she looks around her to smiling faces and couples swaying on the dance-floor to whatever romantic song is playing. Watching her schoolmates lost in their clueless happiness simply serves as a reminder that she is no longer part of their world, and Damon sees in her glistening eyes that tonight, the hurt is just too much.

"Dance with me," he says, suddenly.

Bonnie blinks her tears away and turns to him with a frown. His face bears no mark of mockery; on the contrary, there's the trace of an emotion in his eyes that she can't quite identify and that surprisingly warms her heart. However, she laughs it off, reluctant to let this become a moment, for fear that she might break down.

"Excuse me?" she snorts to keep her composure. "I'm not going to dance with you."

"Don't make me ask again, Bonnie."

"Damon, I don't want to—"

"Be like them for a while," he commands. "Your problems will be there, or in Italy, for that matter, in three minutes."

When she hesitates for a second, Damon protectively wraps his arms around her and starts swaying them to the music. If he's going to completely ruin this evening for her, the least he can do is give her one stupid dance. Isn't that what friends are for?

Bonnie stays quiet for about a minute, trying her best to enjoy the moment. She's been expecting this rite of passage for years, and she appreciates Damon's efforts to make it better, but she can't wipe the bittersweet taste of it off her tongue.

Back when she was 12, she had a crystal clear vision of what her life would be like at eighteen.

She, Elena and Caroline were still going to be best friends, and they'd be dating guys who'd be best friends, too. They'd move out of Mystic Falls together and rent a flat in New York. Caroline would become a singer or a journalist, Elena would be a writer and Bonnie, well, back then, she thought she wanted to be a doctor, as a result of her inclination to take care of others.

_Instead I became a witch. _

"Tell me why they went to Italy, Damon."

The vampire groans loudly, as he steps away from her and heads to the exit door in a few angry strides.

"Are you really incapable of being a normal teenager for _three minutes_, Bennett?"

She has grown used to the fact that her life would never live up to her former, childish expectations, and she doesn't see the point of pretending, if only for three minutes, that she's like the others.

"Normal teenagers don't dance with centuries-old vampires," she counters strongly. "But this is completely off the point. Either you tell me what's going on _now_, or I call Elena and figure it out myself."

By now, they have reached his car on the parking lot and Damon mechanically opens the door for her, but Bonnie refuses to get in, tapping her foot just the way it annoys him to death, her arms impatiently folded against her chest.

"Get in the car, witch," he demands through his teeth.

"What's wrong with you?" she asks as she realizes how tense he's been since she found him. She's used to Damon being a lot of things, but nervous around her certainly isn't one of them. And that's when it finally clicks in her head: the only times she's seen Damon being nervous were…

…_around Caroline._

"They're looking for her, aren't they?" she asks boldly. "Did they – did they find her?"

Damon silently ushers her into the car, careful to avoid her glistening eyes. Bonnie brings a hand to her chest with a gasp and fastens her seatbelt, unable to determine whether this is good, or bad news.

* * *

><p>When she picks up the sound of her phone vibrating on the night stand, Elena runs out of shower, her wet body barely covered with a towel. She becomes aware of her state undress when Stefan's eyebrows almost merge with his hairline as he lies on his back, on his single bed.<p>

She stops right in her tracks, looks at the phone with its little red light flashing on and off, considers running back to grab a bathrobe simply to be polite, figures she shouldn't lose a second to answer Caroline's message.

Stefan clears his throat and painfully tears his eyes away from her body, making the decision for her. _First, Caroline, then our relationship_, he promises himself.

"Is it Caroline?" he asks in a faux detached voice.

Elena nervously grabs her phone and nods as she sees Caroline's name appear on the screen when she unlocks the keyboard. She feels her impatience grow as the phone slowly loads the message, and her mouth falls open.

"What does it say?" Stefan asks the most quietly that he can. "Is everything okay?"

Elena remains silent as she jumps onto her laptop, deliberately ignoring that Stefan tenses when she sits next to him, and struggles with the wifi connection. After a few seconds of typing, she turns the screen to him.

"This is where they're staying," she informs. "It's like, twenty minutes away from here."

"Nine months of silence, and suddenly she's giving you the name of her hotel?" he asks incredulously.

Elena rolls her eyes – why does she _always _need to explain _everything_ to him? Why does he always have to question everything she says?

"She didn't _give_ me the name, Stefan," she exclaims. "But trust me, it's the one."

Stefan knows better than to contradict her when there's a chance she might be right, so he decides to let it be, for now. Whether this information is true or false, Caroline is in the same town as they are, and it's up to him to make decisions that will influence of everybody else's life.

And there he has Elena, whose eyes are full of hope again, after everything. Elena who's already making plans, he's sure. Plans that he'll have to ruin for her sake. For his. For Damon's.

"I'll just go and talk to her," Elena exclaims, confirming his suspicions. "Everything will be back to normal soon!"

Stefan internally sighs as he remembers Damon's warnings – the situation is too tricky to be handled recklessly. Acting on impulse could get them killed. Not to mention they haven't even determined if Caroline needed and/or wanted to be rescued.

"Absolutely not, Elena," he says. "Klaus doesn't know you're a vampire, and that's not something we want to change. You're not going anywhere near him."

"But—"

"Elena," he says sternly. "End of story."

The new-born vampire looks up for her computer, positively shocked at how authoritarian he sounds – he's never spoken to her like this before, and although it should let her know that the situation is indeed serious, it only upsets her that once again, he feels like he has a right to monitor her actions.

"I miss the time when you let me make my own decisions," she snaps involuntarily, causing Stefan's green eyes to darken immediately.

Silence falls upon them as he inhales deeply to remain calm. He slowly makes his way to the mini-bar and fetches a blood bag that he empties into a glass. Showing a good example, he drinks the first glass and leaves another one for Elena.

"Drink," he commands without looking at her. "After that, we'll go to that hotel and observe them to assess the situation _without being seen_. And _then_, we'll see about talking to her."

Feeling like a child who's been told off, all Elena can do is grumbles _"fine"_ and drink her blood as Stefan quickly calls Damon to update him on everything.

* * *

><p>"You're quiet, Ms Forbes," Elijah remarks softly. "Quite uncharacteristic of you."<p>

Caroline glances sideways and gives him a small smile – he's doing his very best to maintain a friendly atmosphere at the table, but he is clearly struggling. Sitting across from Klaus, Caroline can feel Rebekah's eyes burning a hole through her chest and it's not exactly the ideal set of circumstances to make a good impression.

"At least, some of us know the beauty of silence," Klaus teases softly as he gazes at Rebekah.

The fiery blonde snorts at that, barely looking up from her Caesar salad to roll her eyes at Klaus. The dinner has been awkward so far, as the two brothers did their best to keep the conversation light and interesting – they're doing their best to keep Caroline comfortable and Rebekah couldn't be more annoyed at it. Which is why she'd made it her mission to put the young vampire on the spot with a few tasty remarks.

"Your words, for one, are remarkably empty," she throws in. "Surely Caroline here can speak for herself, or isn't that the way your perfect relationship works?"

Klaus sighs but says nothing. He's learnt that when Caroline has something to say, she doesn't let anything stop her. If she's patiently endured his sister's rudeness, it's because she wants to.

Elijah observes the dynamic with the greatest interest. Not so long ago, Klaus would have proffered empty threats against his sister for questioning him; instead, he's barely shaking his head at her immaturity. As he looks at Klaus now, and remembers the first days of his infatuation with Caroline, he can see how far his brother has come.

Of course, he's still the same impulsive, hot-tempered hybrid that he's always been, but there's something softer about him. It's in the things he doesn't say that the extent of the change can be measured.

"Rebekah," Elijah calls quietly. "Why don't you tell Caroline about our trip to Paris last month?"

Caroline sees an opportunity and seizes it without hesitation. It will be her last try – if Rebekah wants to hate her forever, then fine. At least she'll have tried, and Klaus won't be able to hold it against her later. Plus, she has Elijah on her side, and he's a valuable asset.

"Paris is next on our list," Caroline informs with a quick glance at Klaus. "I can't wait to be there! Maybe you could tell me which places you liked the most so I'll make sure to visit them, too."

"The entire city is magnificent," Rebekah answers, absolutely bored. "Must be all the wine, but French blood is absolutely _delicious_."

Caroline internally rolls her eyes at the complete absence of subtlety behind this statement. She can't even blame Rebekah for wanting to make sure that she hasn't turned her brother into a doormat – she'd probably do the same, should the roles be reversed. But she's Caroline and she'd had a bad day and Elena is somewhere thinking about her, and she does _not_ have it in her to sit there and suffer in silence.

With a proper hair flip, she lets out a crystalline laugh.

"Well, the Italians can compete," she says. "We've had a few tasty desserts, haven't we, Nik?"

Klaus nods profusely, stuffing his mouth with risotto to muffle his laugh. Quite honestly, he finds it adorable that she should lie to impress his sister: the closest she got to Italian blood is stealing from a blood bank.

"Maybe we could try out luck later," he suggests. "You'll love it, Bekah, I promise."

Caroline discreetly stamps on his foot under the table, all the while maintaining a thrilled expression.

"It'll be fun," she agrees. "Will you be joining us, Elijah?"

Klaus laughs. It's no wonder she'd turn to Elijah, who tries his best to remain as human as he can. He remembers the only time she used compulsion to feed, because she was literally starving – it was the most hilarious scene he had witnessed in a while. She simply doesn't have it in her to be a monster, although she humours him every once in a while. He repays the favour of course, and significantly feeds from blood-bags as well.

"I'm afraid not," Elijah finally says. "I have no interest in chasing after mortals anymore. But don't let me stop you."

Caroline dismisses his concern with a wave of the hand, all too happy that _someone_ has given her a reason to back out of this. She'll gladly let the two terrible siblings indulge their wild side and enjoy a quiet moment with Elijah.

"I'm sure Nik and Rebekah would love some time alone," she says. "I'll stay with you, and we can talk. Get to know each other a little bit more."

"Very well, then," Elijah says as he pours some more wine into her glass. "By the way, how are your friends back home?"

She looks at Klaus for a moment – a long glance that doesn't go unnoticed – and manages to break into a huge grin. Let it not be said that she isn't a _fabulous_ actress and that she put no effort into this parody of a family dinner.

"They're fine, thank you for asking," she replies with a faux-enthusiasm. "They're actually at Prom right now, so I'm sure they're having a lot of fun. I'm not sure which Salvatore is Elena's date, but you know, business as usual in Mystic Falls!"

Elijah smiles at her, oblivious to the underlying agony in her eyes. Klaus, however, doesn't miss it. He allows himself to publicly display affection and caresses her hand on the table. Rebekah, on the contrary, picks up on the growing uneasiness of her brother, and decides to look into it.

"Speaking of, Nik," Rebekah says enthusiastically. "I suppose you're magically cured of your obsession for hybrids and doppelgängers, now that their insider has you wrapped around her finger?"

Caroline sharply drops her cutlery, directly looking at Rebekah for the first time of the evening. The two women duel for dominance for a while, but the younger blonde has such fire in her blue orbs that the Original Sister looks down for a second.

Elijah and Klaus exchange a puzzled glance. While one of them clearly shows concern, the other doesn't bother to hide his smile. Rebekah has always been protective of him, and the fact that she's barking at Caroline only comforts him into thinking that they do, indeed, belong together.

His sister wouldn't bother being defensive if she didn't think his relationship had a chance to last.

"I need some fresh air," Caroline says. "Rebekah, would you be a dear and come outside with me?"

Elijah chuckles at her formality and syrupy tone. Klaus remains impassive, and the other blonde cocks her head and smiles widely.

"Of course, Caroline," she agrees.

As gentlemen, Klaus and Elijah get to their feet when the ladies excuse themselves and walk away to the door, each making her heels click louder than the other, causing the men to share a silent laugh.

"This is the most entertaining dinner I have had in centuries," Elijah informs as he sips his wine. "But I doubt leaving Caroline alone with Bekah will lead to any good."

"She knows what she's doing," he shrugs. "And trust me, brother, you do not want to get caught between these two."

"To the women of your life, then," Elijah offers as he raises his glass to meet Klaus'.

With a boyish grin, Klaus clinks his glass against Elijah's, trying to bury the feeling that Caroline might not be one of those for long anymore.

* * *

><p>As soon as they see Caroline and Rebekah walking outside, Stefan and Elena retreat to a safer hiding spot, all the while remaining in earing range. They exchange frowns as the two blondes stand face to face, both obviously defensive towards the other.<p>

For a second, Stefan wonders if things will escalate to an actual fight, but then he remembers that if there's one thing that matters to Rebekah more than Klaus, it's his approval. She'd never fight his official girlfriend right under his nose, for fear to get daggered once again.

"_Why are you being such a bitch?" Caroline says, all traces of elegance gone. _

"_I could ask you the same question," Rebekah drawls, arrogance seeping through every pore of her skin as she folds her arms against her chest. _

Stefan notices Elena's interest grow as she once again appreciates the perks of being a vampire. Their eyes briefly meets, and he smiles at her to make up for his hardness back at their hotel. Now that they're here, safely hidden, he can see that he overreacted, but he means well – everything that matters to him is to protect her.

"_What game are you playing with my brother?"_

"_I have a feeling that you have a clear-cut opinion about it," Caroline says. "Please, enlighten me."_

"_You're lying to him. You want to be in Mystic Falls, and you're in love with Damon Salvatore."_

A silent gasp escapes Stefan's lips when Caroline laughs dismissively – he tells himself that she's just caught in her petty power struggle with Rebekah, because the carelessness with which she reacted to the mention of Damon makes his blood run cold. He doesn't recognize the Caroline who's standing there, and it scares him.

"_Klaus and I are happy together," Caroline argues. "Yes, I have a past and yes, I'm still connected to it somehow, but you used to be in love with Stefan and you've given up on him just fine."_

Elena uncomfortably shifts against Stefan's body as he shrugs. He hardly ever thinks about his past with Rebekah, however intense their "relationship" was – she's too associated with his Ripper days, and with Klaus, to be worthy of his attention. Memories of her only bring him pain, and, in order to let Elena know, he wraps his arm around her comfortingly. The brown-eyed vampire simply smiles and focuses back on the conversation.

"_You're a poor liar, Caroline," Rebekah counters. "I can tell that you're not in touch with your friends, just like I can tell that you're not over your feelings for Damon."_

There's a silence, during which the battle continues through glares and threatening looks. After a while, Caroline sighs and mimics Rebekah's argumentative posture, taking a step closer to the Original vampire.

Elena freezes, wondering if now would be the right time to use their last stake left, to prevent Rebekah from ripping Caroline's heart out. She, of all people, knows how impulsive Rebekah can get and she isn't sure Caroline's attitude is the best to have in presence of such a lunatic. She interrogates Stefan in silence, but he shakes his head in denial.

He, on the other hand, is positive that Rebekah won't lift a finger.. Besides, he's curious to hear how Caroline's going to react to the allegation that she still has feelings for Damon.

"_I'm going to say this one time, and one time only," the bubbly blonde says harshly. "I understand why you don't like me: I'm the outsider. Not to mention you've made it clear that you want – how did you put it, already? My popularity, my spunk? I get it."_

"_You don't know the first thing about what I want."_

"_You want to keep your brothers to yourself. But Klaus is everything I never knew I needed. He makes me laugh, and he isn't scared to argue with me. I don't have to worry about him every second of every day like I did for my friends back there, because he is the strongest person I know and he can't be killed."_

"_You feel safe with him," Rebekah sums up disdainfully. "So much for my inner helpless romantic."_

"_I am in love with Klaus, and there's nothing you, or anyone, can do about this. So I strongly recommend that you don't stand in our way," Caroline continues. "Or I swear to God, I will make you regret it."_

Stefan feels Elena tremble in his arms and holds on tighter to her. Before she has time to do or say something that'll lead them to be discovered, he puts his hand before her mouth, but Elena is faster (he curses himself for making her feed before they left). She swiftly escapes his hold, and runs towards Caroline and Rebekah.

Luckily, the two other vampires are too caught up in their argument to notice the supernatural speed with which Elena materializes in front of them.

From a distance, Stefan grabs his phone to call Damon as panic builds up. This is everything he never wanted to happen. This is a nightmare

**tbc ... **

* * *

><p><strong>AN : Hello, all ! I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. For some reason, I had a lot of fun imagining Caroline trying to impress the Originals, and I wanted to bring something different to the usual Stelena - how do you like this new side of Stefan? Anyway, I am dying to hear your thoughts on everything : Stelena, Bamon, Klaroline, ... is there still a Daroline to be talked about? Tell me everything. What do you think will happen, now? As usual, reviews are love.**

**A/N #2 : my friend Sophie6 has published a beautiful Salvabros one-shot called "When you lose something you can't replace", and my friend xthesebonesx has started a brand new Bamon, "The Devil Within" - you know what I read, so follow my lead on this one ;)**


	13. Chapter 13

**_Dear readers, _**

**_I've never done this before, and believe me when I say it's hard for me to let you down, but I'm not going to carry on with this story. As much as I love Damon, Klaus and, of course, Caroline, and the possibilities with those three, the story has taken a turn that really don't like. _**

**_This was supposed to be a 10-chapter thing, but I got incredibly carried away, inserted so many things that weren't part of the plan and now I don't feel comfortable with the way I'm writing anymore. _**

**_I'd rather stop it now than force myself to write it and give you something lame. If you wish to know how the story was going to unfold, here is an extended summary._**

Extended Summary

Back in Mystic Falls, Damon and Bonnie were talking about the implications of Caroline possibly coming back, although the chances are rather slight, since they know about the "family dinner" she was having with the Originals before Elena interrupted them. While Bonnie is adamant that she wouldn't let Caroline back into her life after this double betrayal, Damon is more hesitant. He wants to play it cool, but deep down, his unresolved feelings for the blonde torment him.

In Italy, Rebekah loses no time in telling Klaus about Elena and Stefan's presence, although she still doesn't know that the doppelganger is now a vampire. The three friends have a heated conversation during which Caroline explains to them that she doesn't want to leave Klaus, because she's in love with him, because it keeps them protected, but also because when she's with him, nothing hurts anymore. While Stefan is defeated, Elena, being herself, decides that she knows better. She tries to take on Klaus, taking him by surprise with the only stake they've brought to Italy.

Klaus is on edge because he fears Caroline will want to leave now that her friends obviously want her back; his fury only grows when he realizes that Elena is a vampire and that, on the same day, he might lose Caroline _and _the possibility to make hybrids. But Caroline's here when they fight and she begs him to do nothing – however Elena tries to stake him, and she ends up being the one who gets killed.

This event changes everything, of course. Stefan is broken, like we've never seen him before. She doesn't see the point of living anymore and feels like he's responsible for Elena's death, and figures Damon and Bonnie were right from the start: they shouldn't have looked for Caroline.

As for the blonde, she finally stops denying that Klaus, despite the side of him that only she knows, has (almost) always been a monster, and will always be. The only reason why everything was fine between them was because he knew she wasn't going to slip away. She makes the decision to go back to Mystic Falls with Stefan, and has one last conversation with Klaus.

Things were going to work between them only as long as he didn't hurt anybody she loves and now he's broken that rule. He doesn't try to stop her though, because he understands and she wouldn't be the woman he loves if she stayed with him after that. He regrets killing Elena, because it was mostly his impulse talking.

Their breakup is clean, with no tears. They both knew that this day would come, they just regret that it had to happen like this. Klaus promises Caroline not to interfere with her life, already broken at the thought of Damon welcoming her with open arms. He also assures her that Rebekah will stay out of Mystic Falls for as long as she lives there.

The return home is really tough on Caroline because she, too, has lost Elena and guilt is eating her up. She doesn't want to switch her humanity off though, because she thinks she deserves this pain. When they get back to Mystic Falls, Stefan still hasn't spoken a word and she is forced to leave him to his depression. Bonnie acts like they were never friends, but she blames her for Elena's death as well.

Things with Damon are a little different. As time goes by, we realize that if he's so welcoming and friendly with Caroline, it's because he's decided to stop caring. He, too, feels like it's his fault if she's dead. If he had looked for Caroline like he was supposed to (as the guy who loves her, because he does), none of this would have happened.

The blonde hates that he can be so careless around her while her own feelings for him resurface by the minute. One day they have a conversation about it, and he finally lets go of all the pain and frustration he's accumulated in 9 months. It hurts like, like it did with Katherine and Elena, that she's chosen somebody else, but Caroline is honest with him. She fell in love with Klaus after they left, but she left so that everyone could be safe.

Besides, she's still in love with Damon and that's the big difference with his previous love affairs. This time, the girl is holding on to him and trying to win his trust back. It takes a while, but he lets her back in, because she's everything he has left, seeing as Stefan has left town as soon as he recovered.

A few months pass before they can be called an actual couple. Their relationship isn't simple, but it's honest. They fight a lot, and there's a lot of door slamming and sometimes they're mean to each other, but the love is real, passionate and intense. It's not safe like it was with Klaus, but the rush is just the same for Caroline.

She often thinks about Klaus, and wonders what he's doing with his eternity now that he can't create hybrids and she's gone. Of course, what he did to Elena makes it impossible to love him like she did, but she doesn't hate him. She likes to think that, should he return to town, they could be friends.

In the meantime, Klaus is trying to find a way to fix things for good. Losing Caroline because of his impulse, because Elena was a vampire, because there was a stake that could have killed him – he's getting tired of the supernatural. He remembers when their mother returned, the things she said: how they weren't meant to walk the planet for a thousand years. And he starts to agree.

First, eternity alone doesn't mean a thing. Although he's not alone, but with his siblings. However, Elijah agrees with him, life as vampires has lost their appeal to them and so they track down Esther, who's been hiding, protected by her fellow witches. After convincing Rebekah, they go to their mother, to have her reverse the spell that made them vampires.

Klaus decides to go back to Mystic Falls once he's fully back to human. Caroline left him because of what he did, but now he can't hurt people or compel them or sire them anymore. He knows it's going to be tough, and he doesn't have forever anymore, but he's willing to try.

His return shakes up Caroline's world, but she holds on to what she's building with Damon. Klaus is her past, and, since she doesn't know what he has given up for her, she remains friendly with him, but nothing more. She's just starting to be on speaking terms with Bonnie and so she doesn't want to ruin that.

However, it's the young witch who finds out that Klaus and his siblings are human again when she runs into them in town. She shares this information with Damon and Caroline, who are properly astounded. That's when Caroline realizes how much Klaus loves her. And she's not completely insensitive to that.

However, she's seen the effect of a love triangle before, and she remembers how hard it was at the very start, when she had feelings for both men. This time around, she wants to be better. She wants to respect and love them both, enough to choose neither. Because, no matter which one she ends up with, her heart will always lie with the other as well.

It's a tough decision, but it's either both or none. Caroline decides to be very mature about it, and brings them in one room to explain the reasons why she's going to leave Mystic Falls behind, and never come back. She's grown enough for that, and despite the honest, true love she has for both of them, she figures it's better to leave it all behind: let Klaus enjoy his happy, human life with someone who won't ever have to look at him and remember the hideous things from his past, and not take Damon for a fool by once again imposing a triangle on him.

Ta-da. The end.

**_Once again, I'm very sorry. I'll be writing my new Daroline and a couple of one-shots, so if you have requests, don't hesitate, PM me or leave your request in the reviews._**

**_thank you to everyone who's followed this story, shared their opinion and/or voiced criticism. I'm very grateful and please don't hate me? _****_I hope you understand. Love you all._**


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